


Kingdom Hearts: One-Shot Series

by HinataOC



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AUs, F/M, OC, Original Characters - Freeform, Riku - Freeform, Short Stories, kingdom hearts - Freeform, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:36:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15222314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HinataOC/pseuds/HinataOC
Summary: A series of one-shots based off of my fan-fic trilogy. Some of the shots will be things I was not able to cover in the stories and others will be prompts given by readers.





	1. Survival

Zombie AU

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A crash of thunder startled Hinata awake with a gasp, instantly reaching for the dagger on the splintered bedside table. She scanned her golden eyes around the decayed and disheveled room, only to realize it was the rain outside that disturbed her slumber. Letting out a breath, she leaned back on the ripped mattress, hearing the patter of heavy raindrops against the clouded window. She tensed further as she felt Riku's arms tighten around her.

"It's just the rain," he mumbled sleepily to her, burying his face in her red hair. "It woke me up earlier, too."

Hinata nodded, kissing his forehead as she allowed herself to relax once again. She glanced towards the window, seeing the overgrown world outside. It was barely recognizable as a neighborhood, covered with overgrown foliage and abandoned, rusted vehicles. The occasional wild animal could be seen prowling through the streets, their thin skin clinging to their ribs as they searched for any sort of food.

She and Riku were hidden away in a makeshift haven, in a room they had blockaded inside an empty home, abandoned long ago. A dresser was pushed in front of the door that was barely holding together with holes and mold growing along the sides. Clothes were scattered along the floor, as if the people that had once lived there had packed and left in a hurry; back when the first outbreak had occurred.

It had all started out as a simple illness, only a few thousand people in the county contracted it and even fewer died. That was before it mutated, when an almighty cure was invented. A serum that was meant to solve everything, entering the bloodstream and eradicating the sickness. Instead… it began changing the people it injected. They seemed to turn almost feral, attacking anything that moved with the tenacity of a wild animal. With every bite, the sickness spread. Soon it was an epidemic and thousands were infected in a matter of days. The media and government tried to keep it under wraps, but it wasn't long before the entire country was in danger of a full out apocalypse.

People fled in a frenzy, trying to get to a plane, a boat, anything that would get them out of the country; only to realize that they were being quarantined. No one came in… and no one left.

The government tried to keep things under control, but it was futile. Everything was in ruins and hope was running thin. Soon there was no law, no leaders, nothing to keep the peace. Food and resources began running scarce as some people gathered together, while others became maniacs, hording as much as they could and slaughtering anything in their way. All the while, the infected spread through the streets.

Bombs had been sent once the rest of the world realized there was nothing to be done, but they hardly finished the job, taking out more survivors than anything else. Supplies and resources had also occasionally been flown in, dropped from helicopters hovering above, allowing the people below to gather them like ants, carrying back to their shacks they tried to call homes. But one day, it all stopped. No more bombs, no more helicopters, just silence. They were left on their own to survive.

Hinata swallowed hard, trying to coat her dry throat as she looked up at the ceiling, noticing it chipping away. "We should be getting ready." She spoke up with a hoarse voice. "We only have three more days."

Riku let out a long breath, "Yeah…" He tightened his arms around her for a moment before he sat up and ran his callused hands over his face.

Looking around the room, he spotted their tattered backpacks leaned against the wall. They were folded in on each other, barely having anything inside their fabric. He pushed off the bed and went to them, kneeling as he unzipped them.

"How much is left?" Hinata asked, already knowing the answer as she had triple checked them before heading to sleep the night before, but she hoped he would find more than she did.

Riku shook his head, "An extra handgun clip for both of us and enough food to last us till tomorrow."

"No water," Hinata sat up, looking towards her dirt encrusted nails.

"No water," Riku agreed, zipping them back up in a rush and slinging his bag over his shoulder, before tossing Hinata hers. "Let's search through the house before we go. Might find something."

Hinata nodded numbly, knowing they wouldn't find a single thing. Too much time had passed. Everywhere was picked clean. She got up from the bed, looking down at the watch on her wrist, reading six am through the cracked class. "We slept in."

"We needed it," Riku reminded her, walking to the dresser and getting to the side of it, "Come on."

Hinata wordlessly obeyed, going to the other side of the large dresser and grabbing the sides, feeling the splinters spiking into her skin. The wood screeched along the ground as they slid it away from the doorway, allowing them to leave. Their footsteps creaked the floorboards in the halls as Riku quickly went to searching the rest of the house. Hinata followed behind with a slow, cautious step, one hand on her dagger, the other hovering over her handgun. The house appeared to be empty and thoroughly ransacked. Nothing of value was in any of the drawers or cupboards. The furniture was rotted and covered with thick layers of dust, emitting heavy scents of mold as rain leaked heavily from the ceiling. Hinata placed one of her hands under the drip of the rain, watching the water mix with the dirt on her palm.

"We need to go," she spoke up again as Riku double checked the kitchen for any left over water bottles or remnants of unspoiled food.

He stopped, the fridge door in his grasp as he let out a heavy breath. "There's no way we'll make it without food and water."

"We'll find some," Hinata assured him, looking out the window. "We can collect some of the rain water."

"It won't be nearly enough." He reminded her, slamming the fridge closed. "Are you even sure they'll be there?"

Hinata shook her head, her eyes focused on the rain drops dripping down the glass window panes, "No… But-"

"I know," he cut her off, stopping in front of her. "Their radio transmission was the first one we've gotten in over a year." He glanced down at the old yellow radio attached to the leather belt on Hinata's hip. "I don't know if we'll make this trip though."

"It's too late to turn back," Hinata shook her head. "I told you that you didn't have to come with me."

"I know," He grabbed her hand. "I wasn't about to let you leave on your own though. No matter how determined you were."

He ran his thumb over her wrist, feeling the outline of one of the many scars she had received over the last five years. She wasn't the same girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago, back when they were just a couple of kids stealing kisses between their high school classes. Everything about her had hardened: the glow in her eyes had dimmed, the natural blush in her cheeks had faded, her skin pale and caked with a layer of dust and bruises.

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting, and suddenly all the memories of everything they had gone through together came rushing back to him. How he had vowed he'd keep her safe and that everything would be alright once the outbreak had spread to their own school. They had been huddled together in the locker room, Riku over her as an infected burst through the doors. She had screamed, watching in horror as classmates were attacked and bitten, three of them being taken down before a knife had been jabbed into the neck of the infected.

After than moment, they were forced to defend themselves for their own lives. Watching as people they had known their entire lives were killed or infected themselves, but they had managed to grab Sora and Kairi and bring them to safety. The world fell apart around them as their own families were turned or killed. They each had to learn how to fight, how to kill to survive and they relied on each other. Their laughter and lighthearted moments became fewer and fewer until there was barely ever a smile shared between them. Years had passed, and they had managed to find an abandoned farm to make as their haven. They grew their own food, managed to stay out of the factions of survivors… until a month ago when Hinata received a transmission over her radio.

A female voice had spoken of a true haven, a protected city where survivors thrived and resources were plentiful. All of it sounded like propaganda, the same angle many gang factions would use to lure unsuspecting souls; but the part that caught Hinata's attention was the mention of the Cure Faction. They had been regarded as a myth, a ray of false hope of a group of scientist survivors that were working together to find a cure and undo the damage. The transmission assured that they were real and on the cusp of finding a cure. They only required one more thing, an immunity to the initial illness before the vaccine was invented and Hinata had that. She just needed to get to the coordinates indicated by the transmission in three days, that was her only window.

Riku came back to reality and leaned down, meeting their dry, chapped lips together. It was nothing like the warm, shy kisses they would share before. All the passion had faded, only returning on lonely nights where it felt as if the only comfort they could find in the world was in each other. Hinata kissed him in return, her other hand resting on his chest for a moment before she pushed him back, a dry cry in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to drag you into this."

"You didn't drag me into anything," he assured her, squeezing her hand in his. "We'll make it in time. I'll make sure of it."

She nodded, her eyes shut as she took in a deep breath. "We should get going."

"Yeah," he agreed, releasing her hand and leading the way towards the front door.

Hinata cracked the slightest smile as the cool rain pelted her skin the moment she stepped outside. She could feel the grime washing away and her hair sticking to her skin, not remembering the last time she was able to wash it properly. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a thick plastic bottle, opening the lid to catch as much rain as possible. Riku did the same beside her, keeping his eyes forward as he scanned their surroundings. Thankfully with the weather, the infected would most likely stay hidden indoors, but that wouldn't stop the hungry animals or faction gang members.

They walked along the street, welcoming the rain while also trying to stay hidden in the foliage rather than be right out in the open. Hinata could see the occasional person peering at them from their window, their skin thin and eyes dimmed. She tried to send them a slight wave when their eyes made contact, but they would skitter away in fear.

Hours passed in silence, their legs ached, but no more than usual as they continued on their daily trek. The rain continued at a steady pace, soaking their clothes and splashing mud around their feet with every step. The neighborhood transformed into a city. Tall buildings towered around them, the once glossy windows of the towers were scuffed and shattered, glass scattered over the broken road.

As they approached a long highway entrance, Riku came to a stop, holding out his arm to stop Hinata as well, before kneeling down behind a rusted truck. "It's guarded." he simply whispered to her, motioning his head towards the highway.

Hinata peeked over the side of the truck, seeing the large vans and wooden crates blockading the entrance, the exact way they needed to go. She could overhear the voices of men and women even through the rainfall, as they were gathered in small groups, guns and scuffed blades on their hips. "If we take them out, we'll probably get those supplies we needed." She sent him a wry smile, making him chuckle dryly in response.

"If we had more ammo? Maybe," he shook his head. "It's too risky." He scanned the area, "We could go around, through the woods, but-"

"That'd add too much time." Hinata finished for him.

"Yeah…" He agreed, looking towards a warehouse that was on the opposite side of the street. It was right beside the blockade, going past them with an exit right behind it. He placed his hand on her shoulder, pointing towards the building. "It'd be risky, but we might be able to slip past in there."

Hinata tensed, whispering, "It will be crawling with infected."

"We can handle those," Riku reminded her, "Just take it slow and quiet. It will add a bit of time, but not as much as going through the woods would."

Her stomach twisted, remembering the last encounter she had with infected. It never got easier. Swallowing hard, she nodded, "Alright…" She glanced back at him, "Lead the way."

Riku kissed her cheek, "We'll be fine."

He crawled backwards with Hinata right behind, leading their route across the street as he snuck behind abandoned cars and foliage. Rushing into an alleyway, he had Hinata help him push a large dumpster towards the shattered window. He climbed up first, glancing in before giving a quick nod to Hinata for her to follow.

"I can already see two of them," Riku whispered as Hinata climbed up, pointing them out to her.

"I'll take the left," she told him, already slipping in through the window, wincing as she felt the broken glass of the window scratching against her skin.

She rolled as she landed on the floor, a cloud of dust erupted from her fall, but the sound was masked from the calls and grunts of the infected. They were entering through an office, old fashioned computers with shattered screens and piles of paper covered the rotting desks. Hinata hid under the nearest desk, watching as Riku entered and went to the desk across from her. They sent each other a quick nod before getting to work.

Hinata pulled out a dagger from her belt, carefully peeking under the desk to see the bloodied feet of the infected dragging along the ground right outside her hiding spot. She could hear it growling, gnashing its teeth together as it looked back and forth, noticing the scent of something to eat. Taking in a breath, Hinata, crawled out from the desk, going around the side of it until she could see the back of the infected. She glanced at it, seeing that it was once a young woman, seemingly around her age. Their ribs were showing, clothes soaked with blood and smelling of rotting flesh.

Riku caught Hinata's eyes, readied with his own blade on the other side of the room. Sending him a quick nod, she sprang to her feet, wrapping her arm over the infected's shoulder and stabbing her dagger into its neck. It tried to screech, but its voice was muffled by the blood pooling in its mouth as Hinata sliced her blade through the soft skin and kicked it to the ground. Hinata watched the life drain out of it, barely a grain of remorse in her gut; that had left a long time ago.

She looked up in time to see Riku's infected fall lifeless to the ground, decapitated. Riku tossed the head to the ground, rushing to the doorway and leaning his back against the wall. "You good?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"Yeah," she replied, joining him on the opposite side of the doorway.

They could see the main factory of the warehouse. Massive machinery was set up in an assembly line, some of it whirring with life as a few careless infected were caught in its clutches, being smashed and processed as if they were a type of food. Hinata held back a gag from the smell, shaking her head as she realized it was only going to get worse the further in they went.

"Our exit," Riku pointed towards two double metal doors on the complete opposite end of the factory.

Hinata nodded, scanning over their battlefield. There was more than enough cover to get them started. The machinery and desks would allow them to sneak by and kill a few without being noticed, but there was a good fifty feet between the end of the assembly line and their exit.

"The doors are rusty," Hinata pointed out, shaking her head, "No way they won't hear that. Them or the gang outside."

Riku nodded, "Maybe we can find a window to get through. I can't see enough to pinpoint where yet."

"Yeah," she agreed, wiping her blade's excess blood on the doorway. She was about to head in, before she paused. "Riku…"

"What?" he looked over at her.

She took in a breath, "If… if I get bit-"

"You won't," he interrupted her sternly.

"But, if I do," she didn't take her eyes away from the dozens of infected she saw inside the warehouse. "Don't hesitate... I don't want what happened to Sora and Kairi to happen to us."

Riku froze, a teary glaze covering his eyes for a moment before he shook his head, clearing his throat. He looked out at the assembly line, regathering his thoughts. "...I won't…" he finally replied.

She looked back at him, wishing she could say more. Instead, she took in a breath and went in, hiding behind a marbled counter. Riku followed suit, barely inches behind her as they carefully strafed around the infected. If one would stray too close to their hiding spot, Hinata would grab them over the counter, pulling them over for Riku to slice their neck before they could alert the others. Even with the few they killed, dozens more still wandered the huge factory.

They came up on a hallway to their left that was lined with offices, and escaped inside to get away from the thick crowd of infected, shutting the door behind them. The lights flickered above them, casting unnerving shadows along the shredding wallpaper and blood smeared on the wall. As they carefully walked, they could hear infected eating, tearing away at something. Their teeth clacked and bloodied limbs could be heard falling to the floor. Hinata and Riku exchanged a silent glance, both of them hoping they wouldn't run into whatever was going on.

As they turned the corner in the hall, they came to a stop, Hinata eliciting a gasp before quickly covering her mouth and slinking behind a filing cabinet. In the center of the hallway was four infected, devouring a bloodied unrecognizable mass. They all turned their heads at Hinata's voice, their nostrils flaring as they smelled the fresh blood. One of them stood, allowing the others to get back to their feast. Riku was across from Hinata, hidden behind an overgrown potted plant that poorly concealed him.

Hinata's breaths were shallow, keeping her head down, unable to peek at the infected that crept closer. It let out a high pitched cry, getting the attention of the others. It had seen something. Hinata could hear the skittering of their feet as they scrambled to follow their leader, sniffing loudly as they closed in on the scents. She hovered her hand over her handgun, but ultimately went for her blade, knowing a gunshot would only alert the mass in the factory.

A yell escaped the leader as it pounced on Riku. He was quick to react, stabbing his dagger into its chest repeatedly before it could meet its sharp teeth with his skin. Hinata jumped up, throwing her dagger and impaling the middle of the three other infected, all who were yelping in unison ready to swarm on top of Riku. The infected stumbled back a step from the impact, as Hinata vaulted over the cabinet and grabbed the handle to her blade, ripping it out and impaling the neck of the infected beside it. She dropped to the ground, rolling forward and grabbing her handgun, ready to shoot the uninjured infected before she saw it fall to the ground with a dagger embedded in its back. Riku stood near it, covered with blood, his chest heaving.

Hinata holstered her gun as she stood back up, running forward and pulling Riku into her arms. "Are you ok?" She asked him, her own voice shaking.

"Y-yeah," he assured her, breathless, putting his hands on her shoulders as he gently pushed her back. They stared back at each other for a moment, and he wiped away some of the blood that was splattered on her cheek. "You?"

She nodded, taking in a breath to recompose herself. Patting her shoulder, he went past her, retrieving his blade as well as Hinata's and holding it out for her. She took it, wiping off the blood on the leaves of the plant Riku had hid behind. Their moment of respite was short lived, the door leading into the hallway rattled, muffled growls and yelps behind it. Hinata spun around, already hearing the wood splintering as the infected forced their way in.

"They heard them." Hinata realized, being pulled forward as Riku grabbed her arm and ran ahead.

She shook her head, focusing and keeping up with him, no need for being silent anymore. The door fell behind them, a mass of infected toppling on top of it. Hinata pushed herself to run faster, hearing the yells and cries closing in. Riku sprinted around the corner, back into the factory, slamming the door closed behind him once Hinata was through and shoving a filing cabinet in front of it.

"Get to the door," he told her, grabbing his handgun and double checking if it was loaded.

Hinata nodded, sprinting to the door as she heard Riku's gunfire echoing over the machinery. She reached the rusty doors, cursing when she saw a thick chain forcing it shut. Pulling out her gun, she shook her head at the waste of bullets and was about to shoot, before an infected jumped on her back.

She screamed, somersaulting and shooting its head as it flung onto the floor in front of her. Spinning around on her knees, she was barely able to see Riku standing on the top of a desk, before she saw the infected darting towards her. She got to her feet, shooting the front two as she ran for any sort of cover, scrambling on top of a tall machine that was the front of the assembly line. The infected reached for her, climbing over each other and some of them being caught in the blades of the assembly line. Hinata fired a couple more shots, running out of her already low clip. She reached for her backpack, but yelped as an infected yanked on it, shoving her back, her head slamming down on the machine and making her yell out. Her eyesight blurred, her mind throbbing as she numbly watched the infected successfully climbing onto the machine with her, part of her ready for it to end.

Her heart skipped when she saw Kairi flash through her mind: the pure sorrow and fear in her eyes as she begged Hinata to keep fighting after she was gone. Emotion strangled her throat as a new rush of adrenaline filled her heart. Shaking her head, she kicked the infected clawing its way on top of her, dislocating its jaw. She grabbed her dagger, slicing through its throat before she got to her feet and jumped through the opening. Barely having a chance to catch a breath, she fell forward, but pushed back up and ran. Grabbing a glass bottle off the ground, she spun and slammed it against the head of an infected as it grabbed her arm. The glass shattered along with its head, its weakened bones almost withering from the contact.

She vaulted over a desk that lined a makeshift barricade from a previous group that no doubt attempted to take on the infected. Reaching into her backpack again, she grabbed another clip, her last clip, of bullets and reloaded her gun in seconds. She leaned back against the wall, watching as the infected toppled over the desks and counters Makeshift glass spikes sliced through their arms and legs, some of them falling over with a scream as they were merely climbed over. Hinata fired in quick succession, exploding heads and chests all around her, until she heard the dreaded click of an empty clip. With a huff, she discarded the clip, holstering her gun and grabbing her two daggers.

With a yell, she sliced across the infected's chest, stabbing another right between the eyes. She ripped her blades back, allowing the creatures to fall around her as she continued her barrage. Bodies piled around her, but more took their place. Her skin was sliced, scratched, bloodied, and bruised as she desperately worked to stay alive. She could hear the occasional yell and gunshot from Riku, unable to see where he was, but the mere sound brought her a push of energy as she knew he was at least still alive.

Soon she was forced out of her barricade, too many infected swarming around her. She kept her eyes on the infected as she backed over a desk, not noticing a glass shard before it took a generous slice out of her thigh. Warm blood soaked her pants as she limped back, biting her lip to keep back a cry as she tried to focus through the pain. A fallen body caught on her foot, making her collapse with a gasp, crying out as she landed on the glass ridden floor. She pushed herself up, the glass cutting into her fingers and palm, but she got to her feet, slicing away the infected in front of her as she backed up.

A yell from Riku caught her attention, and she took her eyes away from the horde in front of her, seeing infected piling on top of him. Her eyes widened, her heart stopping as she sprinted towards him, completely disregarding her leg screaming at her to stop. She ran into the infected, shoving them off of him and falling on top of them. She stabbed her daggers into them wildly, not even sure where she was hitting. One jumped onto her back, pulling her down further as it sunk its teeth into the side of her neck.

She screamed, feeling it being ripped away from her as Riku came to her rescue. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her up and ran, dragging her behind him. He pushed her forward as he entered an office, slamming the door shut behind them. Hinata fell to the ground, her entire body losing its will to move as she watched him pull desks and filing cabinets in front of the doorway as the infected already tried to claw their way in. The door rattled, their yowling and growls barely muffled through the wall.

"Are you alright?" Riku asked, stepping backwards and looking around the room, noticing a window covered with wooden planks. He ran over and began pulling on the weak wood, squinting at the sunlight that poured in once they were free.

Hinata placed her hand on her neck, wincing as she immediately pulled away, seeing a thick mucus mixed with her blood. Her heart went into her throat, her stomach flipping as she looked back up at Riku. "Do you… have any bullets left?"

"Two," he simply told her with a strained voice, stumbling back as a plank of wood snapped in half in his hands. "Why?"

"Riku…" she cried, tears spilling down her face as her shoulders shook, reality settling in.

"We're almost out of here," he assured her, pulling away the last plank that would allow them to get out. "We're just going to go through the woods, should have done that in-"

"RIKU!" Hinata cried out, making him freeze and look over. She pulled back the neckline of her shirt, showcasing the bite along her neck. Riku's face paled immediately.

"Fuck…" he breathed out, running his hand through his hair as he turned and paced. "FUCK!" He yelled, hitting his hands against a table top.

"Riku, you promised…" Hinata reminded him, her voice wracked with emotion. He looked back at her, a tense silence in the air that even overpowered the rattling of the door and the moans of the infected. " _Please_ …" she shook her head, "I can't turn into one of them."

He shook his head, looking down at the desk. "No."

"Riku, please!" she begged, grabbing the side of a desk and pulling herself to her feet. She staggered forward, Riku rushing over to help her steady. She leaned against him, her body throbbing with pain as she felt her head clouding. "If… you can't do it, just give me the gun. I… I can-"

"No," he interjected, his voice thick with emotion. "We're getting out of here." he grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the opened window.

She pulled back, stumbling into the desk behind her. "Then leave me here. Get out, get somewhere safe."

Riku let out an aggravated yell, pointing towards the door, "What, and leave you behind to be eaten alive?!"

Shaking her head, Hinata pulled out her dagger with trembling hands, about to thrust it into herself. Riku rushed forward, forcing it out of her grasp and throwing it to the ground.

"STOP IT! Alright?!" He yelled, grabbing her shoulders. "Don't you _dare_ do this to me! I'm not going to leave you behind!"

"You promised, Riku!" She sobbed, her voice breaking. "I-I won't let what happened to Sora and Kairi happen to us! You know that!

Riku's hands tightened around her, his nails digging into her skin as he shook and held back his own tears. "You have a few hours before it'll take effect." He reminded her, his voice hoarse and on the verge of weeping. "You were immune to the initial virus, it might not even infect you the same way."

"I-It's mutated since then," she shook her head wildly. "There's no telling when or how I'll change. Just like with Sora... Kairi said the same thing!" She took in a sharp breath, blurting, "He did everything he could to protect her, he'd never hurt her! B-but then he got bit and... " her voice cut off as she leaned her head forward against his chest, unable to keep her cries silent as her entire body quivered. "Riku, _please_ , I'm begging you…."

Riku felt each and every sob wrecking through her as he wrapped his arms around her, taking every piece of her in. He looked up to the door, seeing the wood splintering and the arms of the infected reaching in, but the blockade he had built was keeping them at bay… for the moment. Time seemed to slow as he suddenly felt he was back in his school days, holding Hinata in his arms in between classes. Her sweet perfume was still in his memories. Her bright laugh and sweet kisses on his cheeks were still just as vibrant in his mind as they had been back then.

A lump constricted his throat as he was brought back to reality; the girl of his dreams, the only person left in his life that brought him any sort of meaning, was weeping in his arms. And he was forced with the choice to leave her behind or kill her with his own hands.

He pulled her closer, tighter against him until he could feel her racing heartbeat against his own. The stench of the bite along her neck replaced the sweet perfume she wore way back when. Riku glanced at it, noticing her veins beginning to transform into black, spreading through her. It had been the same with Sora, transforming him within a matter of a few hours. Swallowing hard, he reached back one of his hands, shakily unholstering his gun.

A revving engine of a car made both of them freeze. The spray of gunfire and yells made them look towards the doorway. Through the cracks in the door Riku could see a black van bursting through what was supposed to be their exit. It raced through the factory, mowing down infected with the thick metal grate attached to the front of it. In the top of the van was a girl in a cockpit of sorts, firing a machine gun while yelling out in rage. Riku grabbed Hinata, pulling her behind a desk as the gunfire sprayed through the walls, desolating the infected trying to force their way inside. He held her close, peeking over the desk every so often as he watched the strangers make short work of the horde.

"W-who are they?" Hinata asked, leaning her head against his chest as it was becoming difficult to even think.

"I don't know…" Riku told her, looking back towards the window, considering putting Hinata on his back and slipping out.

The door to their hideout was shot open with a blast of pure glowing energy, making Hinata scream as Riku immediately readied his gun. The same girl that had been firing the machine gun ran in. Her lavender hair was pulled back with an old bandana, a copper mechanical arm making up her left appendage. It glowed a bright blue at the seams as she fired bursts of energy at any infected that followed her in. She scanned her eyes over the room, spotting Riku and Hinata and waved her real arm towards the door.

"Come on!" She yelled at them, "Get in the van!"

Riku stood up, pulling Hinata with him. "Who are you?"

"We'll do the introductions later!" She bit, "Get in the damn van!"

"I can't!" Hinata yelled, her hand clenched tight over her heart, making Riku cringe. "I've been infected."

"I'm not leaving her behind," Riku told the stranger, pulling Hinata behind him.

The girl let out an exasperated breath, "Did I SAY leave her behind?! Get in the _fucking_ van!"

Riku finally nodded, hoisting Hinata into his arms despite her complaints and followed the stranger to the van. The girl fired a few more shots of energy from her arm towards the infected as she shoved Riku inside. She followed, slamming the door shut behind them and giving the driver a nod.

The driver appeared incredibly similar to the girl, with the same lavender hair and bright eyes. He nodded in return, revving the engine and skidding the tires as he roared the van out of the factory. As they came back outside the rain instantly pelted the car. Riku saw the blockade had been decimated, bodies strewn through the street. He blinked in surprise, before looking back to Hinata as he set her down on the floor of the wide van. Her breathing was labored, the bite having a swifter effect on her than it had on Sora.

"Is she the one?" The driver called back, glancing back and making short eye contact with Riku.

"Don't know," the girl replied, getting to the other side of Hinata as she pulled open a metal cupboard that was built into the wall of the van. "About to find out."

"The one?" Riku repeated, looking between them. "Just who are you guys?"

"Test first, questions later," she told him with a distracted voice, grabbing a syringe and filling it with a glowing purple liquid.

Riku scowled, wanting to demand answers, but he fell to silence. He watched as the girl jabbed the syringe into Hinata's neck, right beside the bite. Hinata cried out, arching her back as the liquid was injected into her.

"Hold her down!" The girl ordered, sending him a glare when he hesitated.

He reached forward, holding Hinata's shoulders down as she writhed, making him look away. The stranger watched her intently, her eyes focused on the bite and the blackened veins. Her furrowed expression began to lighten, until she had a plain grin on her face. Falling back against the wall of the van, she let out a laugh.

"James, it works!" She spread out her arms, "It fucking works!"

"Are you serious?!" James yelled, glancing away from his driving to look at Hinata, letting out a laugh of his own. "Oh my God, you're right!"

"Alright, what works?" Riku demanded, "I'm going to need some answers. What was that shit you just put in her?"

"That _shit_ was a cure," the girl wryly smirked, holding up another vile of the glowing liquid. She motioned her head towards Hinata, who had calmed down and fallen into a slumber. "At least it will be once it's combined with her blood."

Riku blinked, looking between her and James. "You're part of the Cure Faction."

"Yep," James agreed, waving his hand, "I'm James by the way, the foul mouth here is my sister, Sam."

"Fuck off," Sam laughed, letting out a breath of relief as she watched Hinata's veins fully return to normal. She shook her head, whispering, "I can't believe it actually worked." She looked up to Riku, "She's really immune to the M Virus?"

Riku numbly nodded, trying to wrap his mind around everything that had just happened. "Y-yeah, her whole family contracted it, but she never showed any symptoms."

Sam shook her head in disbelief. "And here I was thinking Velcia was sending us on a goose chase to get us out of her hair for a couple weeks."

"That probably was still a factor," James pointed out with a shrug.

"But, the transmission," Riku looked down at Hinata, "the coordinates were still three days away. How did you find us?"

"Tracking," Sam held up a tablet, its screen flashing a yellow dot along the road they were on. She motioned her head towards Hinata. "She was the only one that responded to that transmission Velcia sent out a month ago, and all of those radios have old trackers in them from back when the government actually gave a shit about any of us." She turned the tablet back to herself, "So I just hacked into the old tracking system, find an exact radio to track and wallah, I know where you are at all times."

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Riku asked, "Your arm, the van… we haven't seen that sort of technology in… years."

Sam looked up at him, a smirk growing on her lips. "You'll see."

"Velcia wasn't kidding about Cure having a ton of resources and scientists," James called back, easily navigating the van through the streets.

"We're just a bit… picky with our recruits," Sam shrugged. "If you hadn't had the cure, we'd have thrown you guys out, too." She looked back to her tablet, leaning back against the wall as she got lost in its screen. "But lucky for you, you'll get to join our little group."

Riku shook his head, having dozens of questions buzzing in his brain, but he instead remained silent, looking over Hinata as she slept peacefully. The faintest smile was on her lips, her hand limply around his, tightening ever so slightly every few seconds. He looked to her neck, seeing the bite slowly beginning to heal, mending the skin back together. The scratches and cuts along her skin were also disappearing, leaving her glowing and clean in a way Riku hadn't seen her in years.

Squeezing her hand in his, he let out a breath and spoke up with a whisper. "Thank you…"


	2. Host Club AU

Host Club Cafe AU

*** NOTE: This idea was given to me by Nykamito, such a cheesy yet adorable idea that hit my sweet spot perfectly. I've always loved the idea of AUs, so it was a lot of fun to put this together. I've considered writing more for this AU, as well! So be sure to let me know if you would be interested in seeing more! Also yes, the Host Club is just like the Ouran High School Host Club anime. You can't tell me you've never wondered about a KH boy host club!***

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The sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, the occasional pink blossom floating in the breeze and onto the sidewalk where a group of girls were walking, chattering about every little thing. Kairi had her arm linked with one of her best girlfriends, Selphie. Both of them were giggling about a cute guy they had seen a few minutes before. Sam walked beside them, mostly just giving snide remarks as she pulled her lavender hair up into a hair-tie, so it would stop being jostled by the breeze. Hinata simply chuckled at their conversation, her attention mostly focused on a falling blossom, catching it in her palm.

"Oh!" Selphie brought the entourage to a sudden halt, pointing at a cafe they were passing. "We HAVE to eat here for lunch!"

Kairi immediately agreed, both of them peeking in and pointing out the cute waiters. Hinata exchanged a look with Sam before joining them in looking inside. Sweet scents wafted from the fancy, yet sweet cafe. Booths and tables lined the walls, each one with a bouquet of flowers and lined with a satin table cloth. The center of the cafe was free of tables, covered with a polished hardwood flooring where blushing girls danced with uniformed men.

"What… sort of place is this?" Sam slowly asked before Hinata could. She crossed her arms, "Looks a bit… weird."

"Well you heard of that Host Club at University, right?" Selphie excitedly explained.

"Host Club?" Sam repeated as Hinata let out a sigh.

"You're not talking about that club of guys that basically just charm and flirt with girls all the time, are you?" Hinata asked.

"We sure are!" Kairi giggled, "And this is like a spin off cafe from them!"

"No way," Hinata declined, "I'd rather not be swooned over just because they're being paid for it."

"I dunno," Sam brought her hand to her chin, smirking, "It might be kinda fun."

Hinata looked over, seeing all of them looking at her expectantly. Letting out a breath, she resigned, "Fine…"

A chorus of excited giggles came in response as Kairi grabbed her arm and pulled her into the cafe. They came to a stop in front of the main counter, where they would be assigned their seats and preferred waiter. Kairi and Selphie scanned their eyes around, trying to find the cutest waiter, Kairi's eye caught a boy with spikey brown hair and big blue eyes that she was instantly smitten with. Elegant music played through the room, but soon fell silent as the song came to an end. Hinata looked to the dance floor, a young man catching her eye as he gave a polite bow to his blushing dance partner and turned around, their eyes meeting. His silver hair was pulled back loosely, framing his face and contrasting his bright teal eyes. He wore a cream button up shirt, the sleeves folded back, perfectly showcasing his toned arms. Silver, outlined heart pins were along the cuffs of his shirt and on his nametag, that showed his name: Riku.

Hinata felt her face warming, her heart jumping the moment their eyes met. He smiled sweetly at her, the tips of his ears darkening a shade as he stopped walking for a moment, seemingly just as lost in her as she was in him.

"Hinata," Sam's voice interjected the moment, her hand grabbing Hinata's shoulder. "Come on, we got a seat."

"Y-yeah," Hinata strained a smile towards her friend. Looking back, she shyly smiled at Riku before following after the group.

She let out a breath as she sat in the booth, trying to get her swelling heart in control. It wasn't until she felt the stares of her friends, that she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Did you hear anything we just said?" Sam asked.

"W-what?" Hinata stammered, seeing Riku out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over at him, their eyes meeting again for a moment, her cheeks warming even darker.

"OMG," Selphie squeaked. "You like him!"

Hinata darted her eyes back to the girls, "What? No," she looked down at her menu, a bit flustered. "I told you that I'm not even interested in this type of place."

Kairi leaned back in her seat with a sigh, "If I had known he caught your eye, I would have chosen him as our waiter." She missed the glare Hinata sent her.

Sam scoffed with a laugh, "What? And miss out on that guy you're obviously into?"

A flush appeared on her cheeks as Kairi pushed back her hair with a shy smile, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why hellooo there ladies," the exact young man they were speaking of appeared at their table. He wore a charming grin on his face, his blue eyes bright and full of life. His eyes met with Kairi's, and he sent her a wink. "My name's Sora! Thanks so much for requesting me! Anything you girls want, it will be my pleasure to get it for you." He slightly bowed, darting his eyes back to Kairi as she was completely lost in him.

Kairi began to talk with him, both of them quickly getting into a conversation that Selphie was also enthralled with. Hinata took the moment to look back over the cafe, seeing a multitude of other attractive male waiters along the dance floor and at other tables, charming the groups of girls that hung on their every word. A few of them looked strikingly similar to Sora. One of them had black hair in the same exact style, but his eyes were a golden hue, even a brighter gold than Hinata's. He wore a mischievous smirk on his lips, giving off a sort of bad-boy vibe that so many girls were into. Another had a different hairstyle, more of a golden hair color, rather than the brown that Sora had. His eyes were blue as well, and his laugh infectious. He had an exact twin going around the cafe as well, nudging him every so often to remind him he needed to care for the other patrons.

Riku was a bit awkward with his patrons, not nearly as smooth and polished as the other waiters seemed to be, yet the girls ate it up, giggling and purposefully trying to make him blush or stammer his words. Hinata couldn't help but watch him the most, feeling the smallest tinge of jealousy every time a girl would put their hand on him or he would smile at their words.

She shook her head at herself, looking back to the table. It wasn't like her to fall for a guy so quickly, but there was something about him. Something she couldn't get out of her thoughts.

"He is pretty cute," Sam whispered to her, making Hinata freeze. "You should try talking to him."

Hinata scoffed, picking up her menu to hide her face. "What, and get flirted with by obligation?"

"It's better than what you've been getting recently," Sam shrugged, smirking when Hinata peeked from her menu with a glare.

"Gosh, did you see his smile?" Selphie's lovelorn voice caught their attention. She sighed wistfully. "And he seems pretty taken by you, Kairi."

Kairi waved her off, but couldn't hide the blush obvious on her cheeks. "Oh please, he's just paid to do that. Although," she giggled, "I just might ask him to dance with me. Even if it does cost extra."

Sora came back to their table before another word was said, placing down a kettle of hot tea and flowered porcelain cups. His hand brushed against Kairi's as he handed her his cup, letting out a slight nervous laugh as he fumbled out an apology, that was a bit jarring compared to the composed charm he had before. Kairi scrambled out her own apology, twirling a piece of her hair with her fingers as she attempted to flirt with him.

Sam tried hard not to snicker, watching the two of them interact. Clearing her throat, she nudged Hinata, trying to get her out of her seat. Hinata gave her a look, but eventually stood up, watching as Sam stood next to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked Sam with a whisper.

Sam smirked, grabbing Hinata's arm and dragging her across the cafe. "Just go with it, alright?"

"S-Sam!" Hinata half-heartedly pulled back, trying to keep herself from causing a scene. "What are you doing?"

She watched in near horror as Sam marched right up to Riku as he was just turning away from a table. He startled when he saw them, his eyes darting to Hinata's before he looked back to Sam and plastered a sweet practiced smile on his face.

"Was there something either of you needed?" He asked with a cool tone, keeping his eyes fixed on Sam.

"Yes actually," Sam smirked, pulling Hinata forward, despite her gasp of displeasure. "SHE would love to dance with you."

"What?" Hinata squeaked. "T-That's not-" she looked back as Sam escaped back to her booth, leaving the two alone.

"I'd love to dance with you, too." Riku's sweet voice made Hinata look back at him. He held out his hand for her, a warmth along his face and his smile genuine. "If that's alright."

Hinata opened her mouth, seriously debating whether or not to take him up on his offer. Taking in a breath to calm her fluttering nerves, she simply nodded and took his hand. "Well, I guess it's alright."

Riku chuckled softly as he led her to the dancefloor. A new song was just beginning as they faced each other and got into position. Hinata's face was smothered in blush, unable to keep it back as Riku placed his hand along her waist and interlocked their hands. It felt so natural to be in his arms, and she felt herself getting lost in his eyes, everyone else disappearing.

"I…" Hinata began to speak, looking away a bit shyly as they began to sway to the music. "I have to say, I don't usually do things like this.

"Yeah, I figured as much," Riku smirked, tempted to pull her in a bit closer as he took the moment she averted her gaze to really look her over. "Since your friend had to tell me to dance with you."

"Sorry about that," Hinata laughed a bit nervously, looking back up at him. "But I'm sure you get a lot of girls like that, working in a place like this."

He chuckled, admitting a bit sheepishly. "Not exactly. This-um…" He took in a breath, as if a bit uneasy. "This is actually my first time out on the floor like this, as a host anyways. I'm usually one of the chefs here, but they were short on hosts, so I-uh, stepped in.."

"Oh!" Hinata realized, her heart jumping at the news, for an unknown reason to her. "I was wondering why you seemed a bit nervous with the other girls." She jumped when he gave her a surprised look. "Ah, not that I was watching, or anything." She averted her gaze, mentally berating herself.

"No, it's fine," Riku laughed a bit, "I-uh, kept looking over at you, too." He cleared his throat, his tongue feeling like it was swelling in his mouth.

Hinata looked back at him, both of them smiling shyly at the other. "So… what should we talk about?"

"Well, what do you want to know?" He asked back, his smile growing as hers did.

"Everything?" She laughed, getting him to laugh in return. "Sorry, I... " she looked down, swallowing hard. "I've never been drawn to someone so quickly before…" She confessed, looking back up to see his entire face warmed. She licked her lips from nerves, before adding in a rush, "I-I mean, I guess that's sort of to be expected in a place like this."

Riku stared at her for a moment, unsure how to respond. His heart was racing as he looked her over, wanting to know just as much about her as she did about him. He glanced up at Sora, seeing him shamelessly flirting with another girl from Hinata's table. His best friend seemed genuinely taken with her, and his seamless charm was almost oozing out of him to make her feel at ease. Taking in a deep breath, Riku looked back to Hinata, summoning up as much courage as he could muster.

"I have an idea," Riku spoke up, changing the subject. He waited for Hinata to look back at him, before explaining. "We'll take turns asking a question, the other can only give a one word answer."

Hinata smirked, "So we'll learn as much as we can about the other before the song ends."

"Yeah," Riku nodded, thankful they were able to dance during one of the longest songs in the cafe. "So, favorite color?"

"Blue," Hinata told him with a laugh, "You?"

"Yellow," he answered, "Birthday?"

"June 23rd," she smirked as his smile grew from her answer, motioning her head towards him. "You?"

"July 5th," he replied, "So really close to mine." He looked around them for a moment, "Let's see… Favorite season?"

"Autumn."

"Autumn?" He repeated, "Why's that?"

Hinata arched an eyebrow, looking away as she thought it over. "Weather?"

Riku laughed, "You can give me more than one word for that one."

"Oh," she giggled, "I just love everything about it: the weather, the changing leaves, the pumpkin spice."

"You should come here next fall then," he told her, "I make this pumpkin streusel that-" He cut himself off with a laugh, "Sorry, I messed up my own game."

Hinata smiled warmly, "No, no, that sounds wonderful. I'd love to come back for that. And… maybe a few times before that, too… If you'd let me know when you'd be hosting again."

"Yeah," Riku squeezed her hand in his, hearing the familiar notes of the song as it played its last chorus. "One last question," he told her quickly, knowing the song was coming to an end.

"Alright," she squeezed his hand back, "What is it?"

He met her eyes with his, feeling his heart in his throat as he asked, "Coffee with me next Thursday?"

Hinata elicited a quiet gasp, her eyes searching his face, as if wondering if he was actually serious. After a moment, she nodded, whispering "Definitely."

"It's a date," he grinned, unable to contain his excitement. "I can't wait."

Hinata giggled as they came apart when the song ended, pushing back a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Neither can I." Clearing her throat, she pointed behind her, "I-um, should probably get back to my friends. But… I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," he smirked, watching her with a lovelorn expression as she turned away and went back to her booth. He chuckled to himself as she was instantly bombarded with questions from her friends.

Hinata did her best to answer their questions, continually glancing over at Riku as he continued to work. He danced with a couple other girls, but he wasn't nearly as interested in them, as he would smile over at Hinata whenever their eyes would meet. Sora soon brought them their meals, making Hinata pay more attention to her friends as they ate.

As their empty plates were cleared, Hinata did another scan of the cafe, her heart slightly sinking when she couldn't spot Riku anywhere. Trying to ignore it, she went to asking Kairi about her obvious interest in Sora. A few minutes passed before Sora suddenly returned to their table with a platter full of desserts. The girls looked up at him in confusion as he handed them out to them.

"Uh, we didn't order these," Sam told him, pointing to the delicately decorated cakes.

Sora laughed as he handed one to Sam, "Oh I know, these are on the house." He winked over at Kairi, before handing Hinata her cake. He leaned in a bit to Hinata, whispering, "I think you can guess who got them for you."

Hinata looked up at him in surprise before bringing her attention down to her cake, the warm blush returning to her cheeks. Along the top of the strawberry cake was a phone number written out perfectly with chocolate piping. She whipped her attention up, spotting Riku near the entrance to the kitchen, untying an apron that had been tied around his hips. He caught her stare, sending her a sweet smile before he disappeared into the kitchen.

"If you don't marry him, I think I will." Sam spoke up, making Hinata snort out a sudden laugh.


	3. Nellie

***Author's Note: This is an idea I have a for a possible story I will write after 'The Forgotten Traveler' is completed. It takes place about 20 years in the future, following a couple new faces. It's still in concept mode right now, so keep that in mind as you read. But if you like it, be sure to let me know if you would be interested in reading a full story of it!***

Nellie

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Waves crashed against the sand. Their roaring sounds mixed with the call of seagulls that flew overhead and occasionally swooped down in an attempt to catch the shimmering silver fish that jumped out of the sea. Colorful kites swirled in the breeze, being flown by laughing children, running along the sandy beach.

An eleven year old boy gazed up at a dragon styled kite with a distracted grin. His red messy hair ruffled from the wind, making him shake his head when strands would get in the way of his golden eyes. The color of his hair popped against his black and white striped t-shirt that hugged his thin body. His arms were wrapped around paper bags filled with various bought supplies as he walked a few feet behind his older sister, who also held her own share of bags.

She stood tall, her silver hair tapered down her back, softly flowing behind her as she walked. She could feel the sun's heat against her bare arms, as she only wore a flowing blue tank-top and black shorts. Her teal eyes scanned the supplies in the paper bags she held in her arms and she lightly bit her bottom lip, tasting the slightest hint of the strawberry lipstick she had put on that morning.

"I hope we got enough…" she spoke up. She stopped when she didn't get a reply and spun around, only to be bumped into by her brother. "Des…" she sighed, staring down at his sheepish grin as he chuckled.

"Oh-uh, sorry, Nellie," he apologized. He glanced back towards the dragon kite that had mesmerized him. "But did you see that kite? We should buy one for the trip!"

Nellie followed her brother's gaze, seeing the colorful dragon swirl and flip in the wind. She raised her eyebrows for a moment in mild interest before looking back at her brother. "Aren't you a little old for kites?" she teased, smirking when he whipped his attention back to her with a slight pout.

"Oh come on, you know you'd be all over that if we had one on our trip," he countered, readjusting the bags in his arms as he walked past her with his head high.

"Yeah, maybe," she glanced back at the kites once more before turning to walk along with him. "I doubt we'll have time for it even if we did. Mom says there's a lot of stuff planned."

"Any idea where we're going yet?" Destin asked with an already distracted voice, eyeing the pretzel stand as they went past the pier.

"Not a clue," she sighed in response, rolling her eyes when she noticed him diverting his path towards the line of food stands on the pier. "We have lunch waiting at home, numbskull!" she called after him. She sent him a look as he stumbled back to her side, before going back to their conversation. "Mom and Dad seem to think it's going to be pretty big though."

"As long as we get to make s'mores, I won't complain," Destin beamed, licking his lips.

"Is food all you think about?" she asked him, making him laugh.

"Only when I'm hungry," he admitted, finally looking away from the delicious tempting delicacies at the pier and instead towards the steep hill they were approaching.

A stone paved street went up the hill, lined with colorful flowers and paths that led to all the neighborhoods around the island. Destin looked up at the large school that stood at the top of the hill, smirking at how empty and desolate it looked since summer vacation had just begun the week before.

"It sure is nice to see the school empty," he spoke up, making Nellie follow his gaze. "I wish Mom and Dad would just homeschool us or something. I hate that place."

Nellie scoffed, "With how often they're gone on their super secret business trips," she rolled her eyes as she finished, "they wouldn't be able to teach us much."

Destin glanced over at his sister from her tone and nudged her with his shoulder, "Hey, at least we're getting this weekend to hang out with them."

"Hopefully," she sighed, shaking her head, "I'm not convinced they won't bail out last second because-" she mimicked her mom's voice, "something just came up last second. We'll make it up to you guys, I promise."

He snickered from her impersonation, despite himself, before clearing his throat, "Don't let Mom hear you do that." Nellie simply smirked in response and they fell to a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they ascended the hill. After a while, Destin spoke up again, asking, "Are you bringing your guitar on the trip?"

"Of course," she replied almost as soon as the words left his mouth. "Might be able to give Mom that guitar lesson she's been asking about for years."

"Yeah, that'd be-" his voice trailed off as he abruptly stopped walking, making Nellie glance back at him to see his widened eyes staring down the hill.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she followed his gaze, but then gasped. "Grandpa DiZ?"

The man approaching them from a bit further down the hill stopped, his golden-orange eyes narrowed in a bit of confusion before he let out a hearty laugh, "I keep telling those parents of yours to call me Ansem." He let out a breath as he continued towards them, his pale blonde hair swaying in the wind. A scarlet scarf was wrapped around his neck, looking rather odd paired with the navy blue pullover sweater and black pants that made him look as if he was ready for a day in the snow rather than a day on the beach. He ruffled Destin's hair, making Destin laugh as he shook out of his grandfather's grasp. "It is good to see you both. My how you've grown."

"Good to see you too, Grandpa DiZ!" Destin greeted with a beaming grin.

Ansem chuckled, shaking his head from the name as he looked over to Nellie. "If my memory serves correctly, you were barely over ten years old the last I saw you."

Nellie smiled, unsure what to say.

"Hard to believe six years have already come and gone," Ansem added, giving a warm smile as he reached towards one of the large bags in her hands, "May I?"

"I've got it," she replied with a quiet voice.

"Ah, yes," Ansem cleared his throat.

"You can have one of mine if you would like," Destin chimed in, already holding out one of his bags.

"Thank you, Destin," Ansem gratefully took it, giving him a small smile, adjusting it in his arms, he motioned forward on the path they were on, "Shall we then?"

Nellie wordlessly nodded, turning and leading the way. She remained silent as Destin struck up a conversation with his grandfather, rambling on about everything he'd done during Ansem's six year absence. The stone path had changed to a dirt one as they entered a neighborhood. Wooden homes lined the street on either side, each one was painted pastel colors, often reminding Nellie of the spring time. She gazed at them as they walked on, mostly ignoring the chatter between her brother and long lost grandfather. She heard the occasional bark of a dog as they walked, seeing the small animals wagging their tails as they watched the group pass from the window. Their barks mixed with the ring of wind chimes that were hung on the front porch of nearly every home they passed.

Soon Nellie came to a stop in front of the white picket fence that was months overdue for a repaint. A fresh garden was beside the stone walkway that led up to the front porch, yet a few obvious overgrown weeds peeked out in between the colorful brush.

With a sigh, Nellie looked back towards Ansem and Destin, straining a smile. "We're here."

Ansem looked over the home with a warm smile, "It doesn't look a bit different."

"Wait 'til you see the inside," Destin told him, going forward and unlatching the lock on the fence. "Mom's been letting me paint some of the walls."

"Has she now?" Ansem replied with an amused voice as he followed Destin through the gate.

"Yeah, the plain white walls were too boring," he explained, walking backwards to face Ansem. "so I'm trying to add some color to the place!"

"It isn't half-bad, either," Nellie spoke up, quickly quieting back down when she noticed Ansem smile at her over his shoulder.

Destin stopped at the front door, holding his shopping bag in one arm as he reached into his pant's pocket, pulling out a set of clanging keys. As he tried to remember which key unlocked the door, Ansem took the time to look over the porch. A few potted plants stood on the weary wood. One in particular was a polished blue pot with a single sunflower sprouted from the center of it. It stood beside a rocking bench with blue cushions that were worn from obvious use. Ansem smiled to himself before glancing over his shoulder towards Nellie. She watched him silently, her teal eyes looking him over with a sense of confusion and uncertainty.

He opened his mouth to say something to her, but was unable to as Destin unlocked the front door and called in, "Mom! We're home!"

Destin grinned back at the others before going in. He precariously kicked off his shoes at the entrance, trying but failing to land them on the wooden shoe rack before running to the kitchen.

Ansem followed him inside, taking a moment to look at the living room as he took off his own shoes. The room was small, yet comfortable in size. A few bookshelves lined the burgundy walls and two long black leather couches were situated to face each other with a glass coffee table in the center between them. A staircase was mostly hidden behind the back wall, leading to the second floor with the bedrooms and bathrooms. On the right was another wall with a rounded archway leading to the kitchen. Ansem could hear muffled voices coming from the kitchen as Destin spoke with his parents. He stepped aside as Nellie came inside and sent her a small smile as she took off her shoes. She apprehensively looked back at him before walking past him and situated herself against the armrest of the nearest couch. She placed her shopping bags on the floor beside her before crossing her arms. An awkward tension began rising between them before Destin ran back into the living room with his mom in tow.

His mom stopped mid-step, her golden eyes widening when she saw Ansem standing in her living room. Her vibrant, long red hair was pinned up into a bun, keeping it out of her face. A light blue tattoo dimly glowed on her left cheek under her eye: a crescent shape with two dots beside it. Faint wrinkles barely showed on her matured face, but a youthful glow was still apparent in her eyes.

"Dad!" Her surprised expression transformed into a grin as she greeted, "What a surprise!"

"Hinata," Ansem smiled warmly, "It's been too long."

"Told you he was here," Destin chimed in, leaning back on his heels with a smirk.

"What are you doing out here?" Another male voice spoke up from the kitchen.

Ansem's smile grew when he saw a familiar face come up behind Hinata and wrap his arm around her shoulder. He was tall and fit, his silver hair framed his grown face. His teal eyes looked over his family before meeting back with Ansem's, a smirk tipping at the corner of his mouth.

"It is good to see you, Riku," Ansem greeted him, slightly bowing his head towards him before explaining, "I have some important news to speak with you about and decided it was high time I pay you a visit."

"Does Kairi know you're here?" Hinata asked, crossing her arms.

"Not yet," he admitted a bit sheepishly, "Your children caught me shortly after my arrival."

Riku looked towards Nellie, taking notice of the frown and her crossed arms. She caught his stare and met her eyes with his; her tense stature immediately relaxed as she sent him a small smile. He smirked back at her before looking back to Ansem.

"Oh, well we were about to sit down for lunch," Hinata pointed behind her towards the kitchen, "if you wanted to join us."

"Then you can talk to us about that news," Riku added, slipping his arm from around Hinata to allow her to walk back into the kitchen.

"That sounds lovely," Ansem smiled. "I appreciate the hospitality."

"You can sit next to me, Grandpa DiZ," Destin offered, motioning his arm towards the kitchen.

Riku chuckled from the name, noticing the look Ansem sent him. He waited for Destin and Ansem to go to the other room before turning back to his daughter. She stayed leaned against the couch's armrest, her eyes downcast and arms still crossed.

"You alright?" he asked her, getting her to meet his gaze.

She blinked for a moment before nodding, without saying anything in response.

"It's odd having him show up here, huh?" Riku motioned his head towards Ansem in the other room.

"Six years is a long time to be away," she finally spoke up, her voice hushed as she glanced past her dad towards the rest of her family setting the kitchen table. "Then he just shows up like it's no big deal… it's weird."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, crossing his arms. "You get used to it."

Nellie met her eyes back with him, slightly smiling. She watched him as he looked over his shoulder before speaking up again, "I'm… a bit worried, too."

He looked back at her with a furrowed brow, "What do you mean? About what?"

Her expression fell to a frown, "Come on, Grandpa shows up right before our family trip? You and Mom have another business trip, don't you?"

"We don't have one planned," he admitted, averting his gaze towards the bookshelf behind her. "But that doesn't mean one won't come up." He looked back at her just in time to see her roll her eyes.

"Of course," she scoffed, looking away with a shake of her head.

"Hey," his tone became firm, yet still remained kind. "You know we don't get much of a say when we go. You'll understand-"

"When I'm older," she finished for him with a sigh, bringing her gaze back to him and straining a smile. "Don't worry, Dad, I remember."

"I know it's hard." He placed his hands along her arms. "We aren't around a lot, but that doesn't mean your mom and I don't want to be. There's just things we have to take care of sometimes."

She took in a long breath, glancing down towards the shopping bags by her feet. "I know…" She whispered.

A slight frown tugged at his mouth as he patted his hand on her arm and put it back down at his side. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Hinata looking over at them with concern. He sent her a reassuring smile, waving her off as he turned back towards Nellie. "I hope you know your mom and I love you."

Nellie lifted her eyes to his, a smirk appearing as she nodded with a breathy laugh, "Yeah, I know." She averted her gaze, as if embarrassed to admit it, "I love you guys, too."

Riku smirked in return, holding back a chuckle as he went and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's go eat."

Hinata watched as they entered the kitchen and sent Riku a questioning glance as he sat down beside her. Riku simply smiled in return, planting a small kiss on Hinata's temple, before pouring himself a bowl of the chicken curry he made for the family's meal. As he leaned back in his seat and enjoyed the spicy delicacy, the rest of the table talked amongst themselves. The conversation was mostly led by Destin, asking his grandfather questions about what he had been up to while he was gone, of course getting vague roundabout answers. Hinata occasionally joined in, as well as the seldom comment from Nellie as she slowly began to relax.

After some coaxing from Hinata, Destin proceeded to gather up the dishes once everyone had finished eating. He carried the dirtied dishes to the sink, precariously stacking them until Nellie stepped in and began rinsing the dishes and putting them away in the dishwasher. While they worked on cleaning, Riku and Hinata went with Ansem to the other room.

Ansem sat down on the far end of the couch in the living room, leaning back and letting out a breath. "Your children are lovely, they've grown so much."

Hinata smiled as she sat beside Riku on the other couch facing her dad. She leaned into Riku as she placed her hand along his leg and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "They are pretty great." She agreed, looking over at them working together in the kitchen.

"I wish I could have been here more," Ansem confessed, making Hinata look back at him in surprise. "I feel like I've missed so much."

"We understand, though." Hinata assured him, running her hand along Riku's leg beside her. "You aren't really in a position to visit very often."

"Indeed," he agreed, allowing the conversation to fall to silence after he spoke.

Riku glanced towards the kitchen. Nellie had a smile on her face, but continually looked over her shoulder at them as if trying to decipher what they were discussing. His heart sank as their gazes met and he looked back towards Ansem, breaking the silence with a quieted voice. "Is it another mission?"

When Ansem nodded, Hinata let out a quiet groan and planted her face in her hand. "We're going to have to cancel our trip with the kids again."

"Nellie already had a feeling we would." Riku told her, running his hand along her back. "She'll be alright."

"I'm not so sure," Hinata sighed, looking over at the kids. They had finished cleaning the dishes and were sitting at the table. Nellie was bringing out her guitar to play while Destin listened with a sweet smile on his face. "They were really looking forward to it." she looked back to her dad and admitted, "I sort of talked up the trip to them."

"I kept telling you not to," Riku reminded her. "We never know when we'll need to go on a mission."

"I know…" She agreed, leaning back in her seat with her eyes downcast. "We've just let them down so many times, I wanted them to be excited about something."

"I wouldn't have come unless it was the utmost importance." Ansem assured them. "They will understand."

"If you actually came here yourself, it has to be." Riku surmised. "What's going on?"

"I was sent here by Master Yen Sid, himself," Ansem began to explain. "He needs all of you for an-"

"Mom," Destin interrupted, walking into the living room. He slowed to a stop when all of them looked over at him expectantly. With a sheepish grin, he rubbed the back of his neck and finished, "Uh-sorry to interrupt. Nell and I were just wondering if we have enough time before the trip to hang out at the pier for a bit?"

Hinata glanced over her shoulder, frowning at Riku before she stood up from her seat and clasped her hands in front of her. "Actually, Destin…" Her voice trailed off.

"We won't be going after all," Nellie finished for her, walking into the room with her guitar strapped behind her back and her arms crossed. "You have another business trip, don't you?"

Hinata rubbed the back of her neck as she averted her gaze, trying to find the words. "We… we didn't know about it until just now." She forced herself to look back at them and strained a smile, "We'll make it up to you-"

Nellie scoffed with a roll of her eyes, immediately feeling the warning glare from her dad, but she ignored it. "It figures, I knew something would come up." She shook her head and asked, "Can you at least tell us where you're going this time?"

"We don't know yet." Hinata admitted. "But even if we did, it's safer if you don't know, at least for now."

"But why?" Nellie asked in return, holding out her arms at her side. "I'm almost sixteen years old and I barely know anything about you guys. The least you could do is tell us where you're always disappearing to for weeks at a time."

"Nell, I'm sorry, but it's not that simple." Hinata stepped towards her. "We're just trying to keep you safe and give you a normal life. We'll tell you everything when it's time, but for now, you just need to trust us."

Nellie shook her head, feeling the strain of tears in her throat as she averted her gaze from her mom, her eyes falling on her grandfather. All at once her hurt turned into anger and she let out a huff as she turned around and stormed out of the house.

"Nellie!" Hinata called, about to go after her before Riku grabbed her arm.

"Give her some time," he told her calmly, "She'll be alright."

"I can go talk to her, if you want." Destin offered, the cheeriness in his voice diminished.

"It's alright, Sweetie," Hinata assured him with a defeated tone. She turned towards him and added, "I'm sorry about the trip."

"It's alright," he sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I've sort of learned not to get my hopes up about that sort of thing." He noticed the pang of hurt in his mom's eyes and quickly added, "I-I more meant I don't mind hanging out here. I'm happy wherever we go."

Hinata nodded, straining a smile towards him even though she could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She looked up towards the ceiling, taking in a deep breath to reign in her emotions before letting out a gasp as Destin rushed forward and gave her a hug.

"I know you don't do it on purpose," he whispered to her, smiling as she hugged him back. Clearing his throat, he pulled away and looked up at his parents. "I guess, I'll-uh, head to my room so you guys can talk. Is it alright if I play some video-games?"

Riku chuckled, "Sure, Bud. Just make sure not to have the sound up too loud."

"Sure thing," he smiled back before sending a wave to Ansem, "I'll see you in a bit, Grandpa DiZ."

Ansem smiled as the boy turned and ran up the stairs. Once Destin was out of earshot, Ansem spoke up, "I must say I'm surprised you haven't told your children about your pasts. Both you and Riku were barely older than Nellie is now when you were living in Twilight Town."

Hinata frowned from his words, "This is different..."

"How so?" Ansem pried.

"We didn't have a choice with the life we were given." Hinata turned towards her dad, motioning her hand towards Riku. "We were fighting for our lives against the Darkness, but it's not like we necessarily wanted to. The island was destroyed and… we did what we had to do to survive." She looked back towards her dad, "And that isn't something a couple of teenagers should have to deal with."

Ansem let out a hearty chuckle, getting a confused expression from Hinata. "You talk as if you had no opportunity to return to the island and resume your life. There were many occasions while you were living in the mansion, where I would have allowed you to return home if you wished."

"At that point, we had a job to do." Riku pointed out, motioning for Hinata to come sit back down. "We weren't about to abandon that to go back to a normal life."

"We left the chance of that behind the moment we woke up in Hollow Bastion all those years ago." Hinata added, sitting beside Riku once more. She leaned forward, her hands clasped in front of her. "But… we didn't want that for the kids. We wanted them to have as normal of a life as they could. A life where they wouldn't have to lose the ones they care about or put their lives in danger on a daily basis."

"You're trying to protect them." Ansem surmised, leaning back in his seat with a thoughtful expression.

"Essentially, I guess." Hinata sighed, glancing back at Riku.

"It doesn't help that we're called out on missions every couple of weeks." Riku added, running his hand along Hinata's back. "We aren't exactly a normal family to begin with."

Ansem frowned, averting his gaze towards the stairwell as he let out a slow breath. "I once thought the same as you." He looked back at the couple. "I thought if I kept my life's work and studies a secret from my family, I would spare them the trials I had to face." Clearing his throat, he added, "However, as you know, it did not work in my favor. In the end, everything that I had worked to preserve was taken and destroyed. My family was scattered and unprepared for the life ahead of them, when I had more than enough opportunity to prepare them."

"So basically, you think we should tell them the truth in case the island is destroyed again?" Riku assumed, not entirely sure he understood why Ansem was telling them this.

"With your line of work, it would not be uncommon for the enemy to seek out your kin." Ansem pointed out, noticing Hinata tensing considerably from his words. "It is an unfortunate truth. Your very lives put them in danger, whether you intend it or not." He looked towards Hinata, his eyes softening as she met her gaze with his. "This secrecy will only continue to forge a rift between you and your children. That is something I have learned personally.

Hinata sent him a sad smile, averting her gaze to the front door as the lump in her throat grew. Riku's hand went up to her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze as she closed her eyes.

"That'll have to be something to consider once we're back from this mission." Riku told him, letting out a breath. "Sora and Kairi haven't told Ciel either. Maybe we can discuss it with them later."

"I don't know…" Hinata whispered, leaning back in her seat as she opened her eyes and focused on the coffee table between the couches. A slight frown curved her lips downward. "It's been getting harder to lie to the kids… I mean, it wasn't ever easy to lie, but we thought we were doing what was best for them." She glanced up at Riku. "What if we weren't? What if we should be including them? Sharing our secret life with the only two people that are desperate to know who we are…" Shaking her head, she stood up from the couch. "If we're going to tell them, we should do it now. Maybe bring them with us, be completely up front."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Riku stood as well, crossing his arms. "They have no idea who we really are. And then we suddenly turn around and tell them everything… it's a lot to take in."

"It was for us too, when we woke up in Hollow Bastion." Hinata reminded him, motioning towards her dad. "We gave up on normal lives the day that happened. We were a bit foolish to think our kids wouldn't eventually get roped into it. We gave them normal lives for as long as we could, but… maybe it's time we let them in… Give them a chance to make their own decisions."

Riku stared back at Hinata, before sighing and looking away. "But you remember everything we had to go through. Everything we lost, the missions where we were weren't sure if we'd ever even see each other again…" He shook his head and outstretched his arms. "You really want to put our kids into that?"

"Of course not," Hinata assured him, running her hand over her hair. "I just… hate that we're lying to them."

"It is a rather difficult decision to make." Ansem spoke up. "I apologize if I spoke out of turn. There are many other more pressing matters for us to discuss."

"No, it's fine, Dad." Hinata shook her head, relieving a sigh. "It's something we think about a lot." She slowly lowered into her seat, leaning forward with her elbows against her knees and her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Her eyes stared absently at the coffee table, barely listening to Ansem's words as he began to explain the details of their upcoming mission.

….

Melodious tunes mixed with the whistling breeze and ocean waves as Nellie strummed on her guitar. She was leaned back on the tilted trunk of the paopu tree, her eyes closed as she tried to lose herself to the music. Her heart twisted in her chest, thumping in rhythm with the cords on her guitar. A lump gradually formed in her throat the more her mind wandered to her family, but she did her best to ignore it.

The sound of creaking wood broke her trance as she peeked one eye open to see her cousin approaching across the rickety wooden bridge that led to Nellie's hiding place. Her cousin's messy brown hair was pulled back into the ponytail, barely a spiked puff emerging from the thin elastic band as her hair was too short to even fall past her shoulders. Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her sheer floral sweater, mostly covering her maroon crop top and high waisted black shorts. Her dark blue eyes met with Nellie's and she sent her a toothy grin that reminded Nellie of her Uncle Sora.

"I'm surprised to find you out here." Her cousin spoke up, pulling herself up on the trunk of the tree as Nellie sat up to give her room. "Thought you had that big trip?"

Nellie sighed as she averted her gaze out towards the ocean.

"Don't tell me," her cousin leaned back on her hands before surmising, "business trip?"

"Of course," Nellie replied with a low voice. She began digging her fingernails into the bark of the tree, absently picking at it as she lightly chewed on her lip. "I should have expected it."

"Not your fault Aunt Hinata was talking up the trip." Her cousin nudged her with her shoulder. "She was getting me excited! And I wasn't even going with you!"

"Yeah," Nellie chuckled, despite her foul mood. "She's like that…" Her voice trailed off for a moment, before she asked. "What about you, Ciel? Do your parents have to leave. too?"

Ciel shrugged, swinging her legs back and forth in front of her. "I dunno. I've been out here all day. I wouldn't really mind either way, though."

"I don't know how you're so nonchalant about it." Nellie shook her head.

"Well you know my parents." Ciel let out a loud wistful sigh, "Dad treats everything like some sort of joke and Mom never tells me anything about anything, always busy with something. So I don't really care if they're gone or not."

"They aren't that bad." Nellie pointed out, downcasting her eyes and silently wishing she could be left alone. She licked her lips, tasting the strawberry lipstick Ciel had convinced her to start wearing. The taste made her feel sick to her stomach as she added. "I just don't get why they have to be so darn secretive all the time. Our whole family's like that."

"They're probably into something shady." Ciel suggested, jumping off the tree and landing on the sand. She walked forward with her hands on her hips. "We don't know anything about their past or where they go off to on their business trips." She spun around to face Nellie and spread out her arms at her side. "Who knows? And who cares? At least they're letting us live our own lives without dragging us into their problems."

Nellie averted her gaze, biting the inside of her cheek as she rolled her eyes. Frustration bubbled inside her from Ciel's nonchalant tone. A swirl of thoughts went through her mind, each one a different remark she could make against her, but she kept them silent. Instead, she took in a breath and asked. "It doesn't bother you that they don't trust us enough to tell us anything?"

Ciel shrugged as she turned back around to stare out at the ocean. "If it supposedly keeps us safer to not know, I'm not sure I care."

"God, you're so annoying sometimes…" Nellie grumbled under her breath, turning to lean back on the paopu tree again. She situated her guitar in her hands before strumming a relaxing chord. She listened to the notes she played, allowing them to calm her twisting heart. After a couple minutes, she spoke up again. "It just doesn't make sense. I feel like I keep getting punished for actually wanting to spend time with my family. It's like every time I get my hopes up for some quality time with them, they have to leave."

Ciel moved her head upwards to look up at the sky as she let out an exaggerated groan. "Oh pleeease, I forgot you're such a fan-girl for your parents."

"I am not!" Nellie objected with anger flushing to her cheeks as she abruptly sat up. "I'm just saying I'd like to spend some time with them!"

"Yeah, and I'd like to go through an entire conversation with my dad without him making some lame joke," Ciel rolled her eyes, turning around to face Nellie. "Even having a whole conversation with my mom would be nice too, but I'm not going to get my hopes up about it. Just get into the habit of not expecting anything from them..." Putting her arms out at her side, she finished "Then you'll never be disappointed."

"That's not very good advice," Hinata's voice caught their attention.

Nellie gasped as she whipped her attention back, seeing her mom walking across the wooden bridge towards them, carrying a large book in her hands. "M-mom?" she stammered.

"Hey Aunt Hina," Ciel waved, a toothy grin appearing on her face. "I heard you have another business trip to go on."

"Hello Ciel." Hinata greeted with a small smile before sighing, "And unfortunately yes. You should probably head home. Your parents need to talk with you about it, too."

"Figures," Ciel sighed, lacing her hands behind her head as she walked past Hinata. "I'll see you later Nell!"

"Yeah," Nellie replied with a quiet voice. "Later."

Hinata watched as Ciel walked off, her hands tightly clasped around the book in her arms. Nellie silently looked it over. It had a brown leather cover with a thin shimmery golden border. The edges were scuffed and worn from obvious years of use and papers and pictures protruded from the pages. She was unable to make out the title of the book since Hinata's arms were in the way.

"M-mom," Nellie broke the silence, downcasting her gaze once her mother's golden ones looked back at her. "I'm sorry I ran off, I just…" her voice trailed off as her hands dug into the bark of the tree.

"It's alright, Nell." Hinata assured her with a soft, gentle voice. "I understand where you're coming from." Nellie looked up at her with surprise, making Hinata chuckle, "I know, it's hard to believe." She pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear as she hesitantly stepped forward. "But, I know what it's like to feel left in the dark."

"I-It's not," Nellie tried to reply, suddenly finding it hard to talk as a lump constricted her throat. She licked her lips and took in a sharp breath. "It's not that I want to know everything. I just… want to know you and I feel like you won't let me."

"I know…" Hinata admitted as she came to a stop in front of her daughter and slowly held out the book. "But today, I want to change that."

Nellie looked over the book, seeing an intricate beautifully golden lettering writing out, Journey Journal. She glanced up at her mom before hesitantly reaching forward and taking the book from her.

"What… is this?" she asked as she opened to the first page.

Her eyes widened when she saw it was a picture of her parents, Uncle Sora, and Aunt Kairi. They were all at the paopu tree watching a sunset, just like Nellie did with her brother and cousin almost every night. Her dad was leaning against the trunk; he looked about her age, just a bit younger. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she realized it was the first time she had seen what either of her parents looked like when they were her age. Her eyes drifted to her mother in the picture, she sat on the trunk beside Riku, her leg brushing up against him as she smiled down at him.

"You were very beautiful." Nellie's words came out, before she caught herself and looked up at her mom, "I-I mean-"

Hinata giggled, "It's fine, Sweetie. I know what you mean." She walked over to the trunk of the tree and pulled herself up to sit beside her daughter. "The four of us used to sit here and watch the sunset, just like you do with Destin and Ciel."

"I had no idea," Nellie whispered as she looked back at the page. "Are you sure it's alright if I look through this?"

"I should have shown you a long time ago." Hinata sighed, clasping her hands in her lap. "But… I was worried."

"About what?" Nellie asked, looking over at her. "Is it about where you go on your trips?"

"A bit," Hinata looked down at her hands. "But mostly… Your father and I just wanted to make sure that you and Destin got a normal childhood. We didn't… and we didn't want that for the two of you." Taking a deep breath, she looked back at her daughter's innocent, confused eyes. She softly smiled, "But, we should have given you the right to make the choice for yourselves, rather than making it for you."

"I'm… not really sure I get what you mean." Nellie admitted, bringing her gaze back to the picture. "What was so strange about your and dad's life growing up?"

"A lot," Hinata answered with a laugh in her voice. "But, I'm ready to tell you about it, if you're ready."

Nellie took in a sharp breath as her heart fluttered nervously. Those were the words she had dreamed of hearing for years. Without realizing it, her hands began to tremble. She often fantasized about the people they could be or what they did on their missions. When she was a child, she often thought of them as superheroes, going off to save the world. As she grew and matured, she began to realize that the reality of where they went was most likely more mundane, yet, in that moment, she couldn't help but allow her imagination to flare with ideas. She raised her gaze to her mom's expectant ones, unsure what to say.

"A-are you sure?" she muttered out.

Hinata's smile grew as she leaned forward and planted a sweet light kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Yes, I'm sure. It's been something your father and I have discussed a lot over the years, it just never seemed to be the right time. But after hearing about this mission… we knew you and your brother deserved to know the truth." She pushed her hair daughter's hair behind her ear. "You were right. You're almost sixteen, you aren't a child anymore and it's about time I start being more open."

Tears welled up in Nellie's eyes as her heart jumped. Swallowing hard, she nodded and looked back to the opened book, turning the page….


	4. Frozen Adventure

Frozen Adventure

***Author's Notes: Had a prompt on the KHOC Discord Server and this was what I came up with! Your choice of characters are enjoying a day in the snow, before heading back inside to warm up. Set in KH3***

"That was one hell of a mission," Lea commented, holding back a large yawn as he stretched his arms. "Feel like I could sleep for an entire week."

Riku hummed in response, standing respectfully beside Lea in front of Master Yen Sid's desk. They had just returned from a week long mission off world, foiling yet another plan of the Organization. Despite not vocally sharing the same sentiment as Lea, Riku felt the exhaustion in his muscles. His eyes were heavy and mind fogged with the endless battle plans and responsibilities of being a Keyblade Master.

"You both have done admirably." Master Yen Sid nodded with the slightest smile. "And returned swifter than we anticipated."

"You can blame the Master for that." Lea nudged Riku with his elbow. "Wanted to get back as soon as possible."

The tip of Riku's lips quirked into a smile. "I wanted to make sure I was here in case anything came up."

"Nah, pretty sure you just wanted to be with a certain redhead." Lea remarked, smirking at the scoff Riku gave in response. "Apparently, I'm not the right one."

Master Yen Sid laughed softly, "I understand. You have been rather busy these past few months, Riku."

"Just doing my best." Riku assured them. "I'll do whatever needs to be done."

"Yes, but I do think you deserve a break." Master Yen Sid offered. "We have no immediate missions for you that other wielders cannot handle; so at the request of Mickey and a few others in my council, you are allowed to take a week to rest."

Riku blinked, "W-what? I couldn't do that with everything going on."

Lea cleared his throat and mumbled, "He's telling you to go spend time with your redhead. Really going to fight him on that?"

"This is more important." Riku sent Lea a look. "Master," he brought his attention back to Yen Sid, "I don't think this is the right time for this."

"I understand your reserve." Yen Sid assured him, holding up his hand. "However, as a Keyblade Master, it is also important to know your limits. You will serve no one by over exhausting yourself."

Riku frowned, but took in a breath, nodding. "Alright, I'll take a week."

Yen Sid smiled, "I'm happy to hear it. You both are dismissed."

Lea and Riku bowed respectfully before taking their leave and heading out of the office towards the stairwell.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't take him up on the offer." Lea noted as he shut the door behind them. "I would have jumped on the chance for a break."

"I'm still a bit against it." Riku admitted with a sigh, looking up at the mystical starry ceiling as they descended the spiral stairwell. "Everyone's been working hard, I shouldn't be the only one getting a break."

"I know one person that'll be excited about it, at least." He nudged Riku again.

"Yeah," Riku's lips tipped back to a soft smile at the thought.

As they reached the bottom of the tower and made their way back outside, Lea stretched his back and let out the yawn he had been holding in. Still having a yawn in his voice, he asked, "You wanna head to the castle?"

Riku simply nodded, pulling out a glistening star shard from his pocket and holding it up towards the sky. A bright, sparkling light surrounded them and vanished them from the world.

….

Warm sun rays beamed in between the thick red curtains hanging over the windows. Regal, golden details decorated the floral wallpapered walls, framing the royal portraits of Queen Minnie's ancestors. The calm regality of it all was ignored by the raised voices overlapping and arguing over the other. People surrounded the long chestnut table in the center of the room, each of them having heated debates of where they needed to focus next.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Sam yelled to Donald, who was telling her one thing or another about the World Order. "I don't give a damn about your rules! If those bastards are attacking the people, we need to step in!"

"Watch your language!" Donald quacked, "Especially in front of the Queen!"

"Now Donald," Queen Minnie softly went to step in.

Her voice was drowned out by Kamash's deep voice disagreeing with something Terra had proposed, saying something about royal duty and respect. Velcia attempted to calm him down, being the voice of reason along with Aqua between them. They were the only ones Hinata could keep track of as she simply stood at the head of the table, watching the chaos around her. None of them could ever fully agree on anything. There was always a catastrophe happening somewhere, the enemy always a step ahead of them.

Hinata rubbed at her temple, trying to think through the growing migraine. It was only a matter of time before they all turned to her to hear her thoughts on the matter. She could already hear Kairi mentioning her name to Sora and Namine. The glances people were sending her, knowing that she would ultimately be the one to decide where they were going next. Being appointed the leader by the newest Keyblade Master was something she often found herself resenting.

The double doors to the room clicked open, causing everyone to fall silent for a single moment as they turned to see Riku and Lea enter. Hinata's eyes softened the moment she saw Riku, both of them smiling when their gazes met. She opened her mouth to say something, but the chaos in the room erupted once more as Sam made a snide comment to Donald. A wistful sigh escaped Hinata as she looked back to the table in front of her, getting back to her work before a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room entirely.

She spun around, about to yank back her arm before she saw Riku closing the door behind them, muffling the loud voices in the other room. Without waiting for him to speak, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Riku let out a hum of contentment, kissing the top of her head as he wound his arms around her.

"Welcome back," she whispered, pulling back enough to see his face and give him a sweet kiss. "That was a lot faster than I expected."

Riku chuckled, "Yeah, Master Yen Sid mentioned that, too. Just wanted to impress you."

"Well, consider me impressed," she giggled, pressing her lips against his.

Both of them smiled into the kiss, reveling in their reunion. The roar of debating voices through the shut doors behind them shattered their tranquil moment and caused them to reluctantly break their lock.

Hinata let out a loud breath, glancing at the polished doors. "I guess I should be getting back in there." She began pulling back from him, but he held her there in his arms. "Riku," she laughed, half-heartedly trying to pry his arms off of her. "I have to get back, you know that."

Riku hesitated, wanting to stay frozen in that moment with her. "What if… you didn't have to go back in there?"

She paused, bringing her eyes to his before she smirked. "Why, does the Keyblade Master have a new job for me?"

A hum escaped him as he pressed his lips against hers for a moment. "Not a job," he pulled back, pushing her hair behind her ear, "But an offer."

"And what's that?" She asked, lacing her hands behind his neck.

"Yen Sid just made me take a week off." He told her, noticing the surprised quirk of her eyebrow. "Take it with me."

Her eyes softened, but with a sigh, she shook her head. "You know we can't do that, Riku."

"If he thinks everyone can manage without me, I'm sure they can without you, too." He pointed out. "Let's just go ask. The worst he'll say is no and I'll just spend the week by your side."

"Then you'll get to see the hell I put up with everyday since you appointed me as a leader." She remarked, giggling at the roll of his eyes. "But alright, let's go ask."

Riku grinned, kissing her again before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the castle. Using the star shard, they appeared at the tower and they walked up the spiral stairwell to meet with Master Yen Sid.

"Master Riku," he greeted as they entered his office. "And Hinata, what a pleasant surprise."

They released each other's hands as they stood respectfully in front of Yen Sid's desk. "Sorry to intrude again." Riku apologized, "I…" his voice trailed off and he rubbed the back of his neck, "Have a large favor to ask."

"Hmm," Master Yen Sid smiled, "I imagine you wish Hinata to take the week off with you?"

"I know that sounds weird, considering I didn't want to take a break in the first place." Riku admitted.

A deep chuckle rumbled in Yen Sid's chest. "I fully expected you to return with this request, even when you objected to the idea of taking a rest. That is why I already appointed Mickey to fill in for Hinata's place while you both are gone."

"Are you sure it's really alright for us to leave… right now?" Hinata asked, looking between Yen Sid and Riku.

His smile faltered back to his usual straight expression as he straightened in his seat, speaking seriously. "The Organization will still be prevalent whether or not you are given the time to recuperate. Neither of you will do any good serving the cause while at the end of your rope. If you are concerned for the others, they will also be given days to rest, so you needn't worry for them."

"Well…" Hinata looked to Riku, who was smiling towards her. She returned the expression, her tattoo beginning to dimly glow. "Alright then."

The decision made, they said their farewells to Master Yen Sid and made their way back down the tower. The entire walk down, Hinata got more and more excited at the prospect of an uninterrupted week with Riku. She mused multiple options of places they could go or things she had wanted him to see with her. With each consecutive idea, their uneasiness of taking a trip together dissolved away into enthusiasm. Riku remained mostly silent, a soft smile on his lips as he listened to her ramble on.

A shooting star shined across the mystical sky as they made their way back outside. Hinata clasped her hand over her forearm, gazing up at the sky before she turned around and walked backwards to face Riku.

"Well Master, where would you like us to go?" She asked him.

Riku smirked at her affectionate inflection when she called him by his title. "I might have a place in mind."

Her smile grew a grin, an excited skip in her step as she went to him and grabbed his hands. "I'm ready for anything."

He squeezed one of her hands before reaching into his pocket for the star shard. Hinata kept her eyes on him as the sparkling aura surrounded them, only closing them when it got too bright. A sharp chill made her shiver and she opened her eyes to find them surrounded by snow. They stood at the edge of a frozen lake that surrounded a gorgeous kingdom. Everything was encased with shimmering ice, even the trees of the forest that outlined the shore of the lake. A long, stone bridge led to the gates of the castle that was built above the quaint town below, where large Christmas trees could be seen, decorated with glowing candles and ornaments.

Hinata's mouth fell agape as she took in her surroundings, her eyes falling back on Riku to see him in new clothes that had been magically changed to blend in with the residents within the world. A thick grey-blue tunic with grey fur lining around the shoulders and collar covered his torso. Intricate details of navy and white were stitched along the edges, matching the fabric tied at his hips. The style continued into the thick boots and gloves that shielded his skin from the feet of snow around them. Pieces of his short, choppy hair framed his face underneath a gray hat as he watched Hinata, awaiting her reaction to everything.

"You look amazing," she simply told him.

Riku blinked in surprise, before he bubbled into a laugh. "Thanks, but don't you want to know where we are?"

She looked towards the kingdom in the distance, humming in thought. "Based on the photos you've sent me while you've been on missions, I'm going to guess…" she brought her eyes back to him, "Arendelle?"

"Yeah," he laughed, "I'm surprised you could tell from out here. All the pics I sent you from here were from inside the kingdom."

"I think you underestimate how much I stare at the pictures you send me." She told him, already walking towards the the entrance to the kingdom.

"I must," he smirked to himself, looking her over before following after her. Meeting her pace, he leaned over and noted, "You look amazing, too."

"Oh! Right!" She realized with a laugh, pausing to look down at her new clothes.

She wore a subdued maroon dress that cut off mid calf. A gold lining separated the corset from the billowing skirt. It also lined above her chest to separate the darker fabric that made up her sleeves and the top of her collar. Delicate embroideries of gold and whites decorated the bodice and skirt, matching the designs of her boots and gloves.

"Wow," she breathed out, holding out the edge of the dress. "This is beautiful."

"Beautiful dress for a beautiful girl." Riku replied, chuckling at the look Hinata sent him.

"You're so adorable." She kissed his cheek, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the kingdom.

The moment they entered the gates, the serene scene from the forest was swept away in bright, wintery festivities. Every building was decorated with frosty wreaths and candy canes. Pine trees stood at every corner, the glow from the candles on their branches surrounded everyone with a comforting warmth. Carolers were singing jolly songs along with quaint live music where a few couples and children danced to the tunes. Through it all, a sweet scent of fresh baked goods wafted through the entire town.

Other than the occasional friendly smile or offer of partaking in a festivity, the townsfolk paid little mind to Riku and Hinata entering the kingdom. They blended in, neither of them being called out or expected to partake in some overwhelming responsibility. Hinata linked her arm with Riku's, pointing out all the little interesting things she noticed as they explored the town. Snow fell around them, but they hardly felt the chill of it. The liveliness in the air kept them excited and moving.

Their exploring came to an end when they discovered an ice rink at the main courtyard in front of the castle. A completely frozen fountain stood in the center of the yard, its water crystalized in swirling patterns. Around it, people were skating back and forth, everyone smiling and laughing.

Hinata watched everyone skate, a grin on her face and the occasional laugh whenever someone would topple over or a small child would do something cute. She hardly noticed Riku walk off and jumped when he handed her a pair of white leather skates.

She gave them one look before wildly shaking her head, "Oh, I don't think so. I don't have the first idea about how to skate."

"Neither do I," he pointed out, walking over to a bench to put on his own pair of skates.

Realizing she wasn't going to be getting out of it, she blew out a puff of air and joined him on the bench. She tied the laces before she carefully stood back up. With a gasp, she swung her arms wildly, already feeling her feet sliding out from underneath her. A warm pair of hands caught her around her waist and looking over her shoulder, she saw Riku supporting her with an amused expression on his face.

He moved to her side, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's just do what everyone else is."

With a slow step, he slid his foot forward, his eyes focused on the other townsfolk as they skated with ease. He moved them forward, Hinata staying perfectly still and being more than happy to allow Riku to pull her along. She clung onto him, her once free hand wrapped around his arm to keep her upright, but as they made the first roundabout of the fountain, she began to relax.

Just as she released her hold on Riku's arm and move her feet on her own, he released her altogether, allowing her to slide on ahead of him. Hinata squeaked in surprise, her confidence fleeting as she tried to spin around to scold Riku, but only resulted in spinning out of control. She swung her arms, her legs slipping out from under her, and she fell onto her backside, sliding in defeat. A huff escaped her as she crossed her arms, glaring at Riku who had nearly doubled over in laughter. Her glare waned within a moment, unable to keep up the charade. She couldn't help but laugh along with him, especially when he attempted to skate towards her, but only ended up falling beside her.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice still riddled with laughter.

He pushed himself up into a seated position, falling flat rather than just on his backside like Hinata had. "Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, his voice in a similar condition to hers.

Both of them wore grins, their faces warmed. As their laughter died down they kept smiling at the other and eventually kissed, breaking apart when they heard someone whistle in appreciation. Riku got up first, holding out his hand to Hinata to help her up.

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a long time." She whispered to him as she stood, a sweet, loving look in her eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed, squeezing her hand with a bittersweet smile. "You, too, actually."

She opened her mouth to say more, but paused when she realized they were in the way of the other skaters. "Want to keep going?" She asked him.

"Only if you'll actually skate this time." He quipped, leading the way.

"Fine, fine," she conceded, attempting to follow his movements to go forward.

She managed to stay on her feet most of the time, as they circled around the fountain. Riku would snicker everytime she fell, only to fall shortly after, but he was picking up on it quicker than she was. He eventually let go of her hand, to attempt going a bit faster. Hinata tried to keep up with him, gasping when her balance would waver.

"Hey, you're starting to get the hang of it." Riku noted, slowing down to meet her pace after a few rounds around the rink.

"You think so?" She asked, standing taller but began to wobble, swaying every which way. "I-I usually have a bit more dignity than this." She lamented as she barely managed to stay up.

He chuckled, "You still have your dignity, I promise."

"Thanks," she snickered. She looked up when she heard a joyful, eccentric voice from the crowd. "Is that…" She stopped moving her feet, sliding to a halt. "A talking snowman?"

Riku spun around a little too fast, tripping over his feet. With a surprised yelp, he grabbed onto Hinata, pulling her down with him. His cheeks warmed at Hinata's laughter as they fell to the ice, but he joined in. They thankfully crashed near the edge of the rink, so they weren't in the way of many other skaters. Glancing over his shoulder, Riku saw the snowman Hinata was referring to.

Letting out a breath, he told her, "Yeah, that's Olaf."

"Olaf!" She remembered the name, her eyes lighting up as she watched Olaf talking excitedly with two regally dressed women. "For some reason I didn't expect him to be a snowman…"

Riku chuckled, "I don't think I ever mentioned it." He turned away when the group Hinata was referring to looked their way. Grabbing her hand, he whispered, "We should get back into the town before they recognize me."

"What, why?" She asked, matching his whispered tone.

"Those girls with Olaf," Riku motioned his head behind them, "they're the rulers here and Princess Ana has been trying to get me to go to one of their royal dance things since we met. I've only been able to get out of them since I used you not being with me as an excuse not to go."

Hinata blinked, looking between him and the women, "A royal dance? Like the one Sora and Kairi got to go to on Cinderella's world?"

Riku paused, "Yeah, I think so anyways." He looked at her, "Is that something you'd be interested in?"

She mulled it over, "Usually, I'd say no. But, I mean, if the offer's there…"

He laughed softly, keeping his quiet tone. "Well alright. We'll be here for a week, so we'll let them know we're here tomorrow."

"But today?" She asked, arching an eyebrow as she met her eyes with his, a smirk quirking the corner of her lips as she had an inkling where he was going with his idea.

"I want us to have it all to ourselves." He told her, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "And… They can be exhausting. Honestly think Sora's more suited to deal with them."

Hinata bubbled into laughter, catching herself to quiet down. Nodding quickly, she checked to make sure Olaf and the girls weren't looking their way, then she pulled on Riku's hand and scrambled off the rink entirely. They quickly slid off their skates and got back into their boots, before escaping into the crowds. The moment they were in the midst of crowds, they broke into a run to get as far away from the ice rink as they could. Riku tugged Hinata around the corner beside a tavern, concealing them completely. They leaned against the wooden wall, breathless but laughing.

"Oh that was exciting," Hinata gushed with a giggle. "I don't think I've ever had to make a daring escape from royalty, before."

"Yeah, that was a first," Riku agreed, a grin permanently on his face as he met his eyes with hers. "I love you."

She grinned in return, her tattoo glowing. "I love you, too."

He cupped her cheek in his hand, leaning over for a kiss. She hummed against his lips, placing her hand over his. When he pulled away, they gazed into each other's eyes, the world fading away for that single moment.

"So, what else do you want show me in Arendelle?" Hinata asked, her voice soft and low as her eyes drifted between his eyes and lips.

"Whatever you want," he replied, kissing her again. "Could really use something warm to drink, though."

"Oh thank goodness," she admitted with a soft laugh, "I'm freezing."

"Me too," he agreed, grabbing her hand and peeking out from the corner of building to make sure they hadn't been spotted. Seeing that the coast was clear, he pulled her inside the warm tavern.

A tall furnace was built along the far back of the tavern, the flames flickering and crackling along with the live folk music that was being played by two men on a wooden stage. A third man sang to the tune about an old troll named Flemmingrad, getting a handful of intoxicated patrons to sing along with cheers while lifting their mugs of warmed rum. Hinata followed Riku to sit at the bar, keeping her eyes on the band while listening to the ballad and enjoying the warmth from the fire.

The clink of cups in front of her caught her attention and looking back forward she saw two tall mugs of hot cocoa. Green trees and red reindeer were carved into the cream colored clay that made up the thick mugs. Hinata idly traced her fingertip along them as she held her cup between her palms, taking a deep breath of the chocolatey steam that heated her cheeks.

"I was worried you were going to order me rum," she teased, taking a long sip of the drink, humming in appreciation as it spread through her.

"God no," he breathily chuckled, taking his own drink. He turned around on the stool, leaning his back against the counter with his mug still in his grasp.

Hinata turned as well, keeping her back straight as she watched the commotion of the tavern. Men and women of various ages filled the seats and tables, many of them talking loudly and laughing freely. A few children also roamed in between the patrons, giggling and playing a game of tag as their parents half-heartedly told them to stop.

Golden sunlight peeked in between the clouds, a few of the rays poured in through the open doorway as the sun was beginning to set. A sweet feast of ham and baked apples began being brought out to the tables, sharing a celebration for an upcoming holiday. While there by complete accident, Hinata and Riku were given plates full of food, welcomed to join in on the festivities. They ate together, laughing as they watched the people around them and barely noticed the sun disappearing completely as night fell.

As Hinata finished her second mug of cocoa she looked over to Riku, just then noticing the heavy bags under his eyes as he yawned. Her smile fell as she placed her hand along his knee, "I didn't even think about it, you must be exhausted."

He waved her off, but broke into another yawn. "I'm a little tired."

Hinata scoffed, ending with a giggle, "Come on," she slid off her seat, reaching for his hand. "Let's find an inn to get some sleep."

Their fingers interlaced as he smiled and slid off the seat as well. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, then began weaving their way between the patrons towards the exit. A few of the people asked them to stay for the rest of the party, or to take part in the dancing that was just starting. Hinata was able to talk their way out of it, but stayed long enough to watch the first dance that seemed to be a mix between a waltz and slow swaying as most of the patrons were in some way intoxicated.

Riku tugged on her hand as the song ended, leading back out to the snowy outdoors. The warmth of the tavern immediately left them, replaced with the chilling, frigid wind and falling snow. Hinata shivered, huddling close to Riku as they tried to follow the glow from the candle lit street lamps to a nearby inn Riku knew about.

The building they approached was taller than most of the surrounding ones. The windows glowed with life, inviting them in from the night cold. They pulled on the door, the harsh winds making it difficult to open. Hinata shook as they finally entered, looking up at the calm, quaint living room. Couches and armchairs were placed around a flickering fireplace, where people were quietly sitting, reading or simply enjoying the emanating heat from the flames. Hinata walked towards the fireplace as Riku went to the front desk and worked on accommodating them a room.

She stared at the crackling flames, getting lost in her thoughts and the occasional worry that crept into the back of her mind. It all swept away as Riku slid his arm in hers, showing her the room key he had just gotten. She smiled warmly, walking with him up the stairwell to the second floor where their room awaited. A chill quivered through her as the heat from the fireplace left and she ran her hands along her arms as she waited for Riku to unlock their room.

It was a charming room, with a queen-sized bed against the far wall underneath a tall window shrouded with thick curtains. A fur comforter covered the bed, seemingly calling Hinata's name as she knew it would keep the cold away. Along the right wall was a small, brick fireplace, already set up with wood, just waiting to be lit. A long couch stood a few feet away from the fireplace and Riku made a beeline for it. He sat along the edge, taking off his boots, hat, and tunic in succession, only leaving him in his pants and a long sleeved shirt. Hinata closed the door, looking around the room as Riku held out his palm and ignited a ball of flame. The glow of it illuminated the room, accentuating the sweet details; such as the flowers placed in glass vases on their bedside tables or the gorgeous paintings hung along the walls.

Hinata walked through the room, admiring the artwork as Riku started the fire. "Have you ever stayed here?" She broke through the silence, only the sound of the crackling flames besides her voice.

"No, this is my first time." He told her, his voice slightly distracted and tired. "I usually stayed at the castle."

"That must have been amazing," she looked over her shoulder at him. "How big were the rooms?"

"Way too big for anyone staying there by themselves." He remarked, getting a soft laugh in response. "I'm sure Princess Ana and Queen Elsa will insist we stay there once we tell them we're here."

She hummed, reaching the bed and running her fingers through the thick fur of the blanket. "I mean, they don't have to know we're here. Do they?"

Riku chuckled as he sat on the edge of the couch again, stretching his arms before he lay down. Lacing his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling, he replied, "I mean… I guess not." He laughed again, "Might be sort of fun to try to avoid them all week."

"I think it would." Hinata giggled, grabbing the fur blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders as she made her way to the couch. "But I also would like to meet them eventually."

She carefully climbed onto the couch with him, her head resting along his chest. The blanket was spread over them, capturing their warmth as Riku wrapped his arms around Hinata. She absently watched the flames, listening to his heartbeat as his chest rose and fell with each consecutive breath. Closing her eyes, she felt her mind drifting to sleep, but couldn't shake the uneasiness in the back of her thoughts. Riku remained silent as well, his hands lightly tracing up and down her back.

"How are you doing…?" Hinata asked after a few minutes, her voice barely over a whisper.

"Hmm," he hummed, his eyes closed. "Relaxed… Content… and-"

"Wanting this to last forever?" She finished, planting a kiss over his heart.

A laugh rumbled in his chest, making Hinata smile. "Yeah, that." When she didn't reply, he asked, "How about you?"

She was silent for a moment in thought, letting out a breath, she admitted, "Happy, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"...Worried about everyone?" He surmised, feeling Hinata nod against him. "Yeah," he sighed, "Me too."

"I loved today," she continued, "But every time we hit a lull, I couldn't stop thinking about everything going on… Doesn't feel right to be out here."

"I know," he agreed, his hands rubbing calming circles up and down her back.

"Everything will be okay… right?" She asked, lifting her chin so she could look at him. Riku opened his eyes to meet her gaze. "All this will be worth it in the end?"

He stared at her for a moment before smiling softly, "I'm sure of it." He brought his hand to her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her tattoo. "We'll make it through."

She leaned into his touch, kissing his palm. "I hope so."

He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up so he could meet her lips with his. She sighed into his mouth, melting as his hands massaged her shoulders. It was comforting and loving in a way that caused all the stress built up in Hinata to dissolve away. As he pulled back, he feathered a few short kisses to her face.

"I promise," he whispered, "No matter what, we'll be alright."

She smiled, kissing him again. "I love you." She spoke against his lips.

He waited until their lock broke, letting her get back to resting her head against his chest, before replying softly, "I love you, too."

They watched the flickering flames of the fire, both of them slowly losing themselves to their thoughts as they remained silent. Hinata listened to Riku's heartbeat against the crack of the fire, allowing it to lull her to a peaceful, pleasant sleep. Even with the chaos, they had each other, and in that moment that was all they needed.


	5. Drabbles

***NOTE: Really short piece of drabble. On my tumblr, I'm doing this thing where people give me a random quote of dialogue and two characters, then I write a short piece about it. Nykamito gave me, "Do or die... most likely die" with Riku and Hinata. So here is the little drabble! It's set in Wreck it Ralph World (Hero's Duty)***

Hinata plopped onto the ground, a cloud of dust erupting around her as she leaned back against a tall jagged boulder. Her hair was slicked to her skin as beads of sweat dripped down her neck, her chest heaving for breaths. She glanced over at Riku as he fell to the ground beside her, their thick armor clinking against the other.

A victorious music rang out around them in the desolate wasteland, congratulating them on completing the level. Shattered Cy-Bugs and glowing blood was all over the ground and splattered over the armor Riku and Hinata wore.

Hinata held out her arm in front of her, checking a screen on her forearm that showed one glowing bar of health. She closed her eyes, trying to catch a single breath as she grated out the words. "I only have one life left…"

"Me too…" Riku breathed out, checking his own arm. "Lose one more and we'll be stuck playing Sugar Rush with Sora and Kairi the rest of the night."

Hinata let out a strained laugh, coughing a bit at the end. "I don't know… that doesn't sound too bad. I could certainly use a break."

"Come on," he nudged her with his arm, looking over at her through his teal tinted visor. "Can't quit on me now."

She met her eyes with his, smirking despite her exhaustion. "Never."

"Level Eight," a deep voice projected, silver shimmering letters appearing above them. Before the letters had even disappeared completely, they could already hear the buzzing of the emerging Cy-Bugs.

They both peeked out from their cover, seeing the glowing bugs just beginning to fly out of the massive castle in the distance. Riku leaned back against the rock, reloading the large gun in his hands.

"Well, this is it," he told her.

"It's do or die," she agreed, readying her own gun. "…Most likely die."

Riku scoffed, "Your confidence is astounding."

Hinata laughed, giving him a peck on his cheek before getting to her feet and feeling the new rush of adrenaline sinking in as she faced the oncoming hoard. "Let's do this."

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***Note: This was another prompt given on Tumblr, by spirit-of-creativity16. The quote was, "Not to be forward, but I love you." For Terra and Aqua. Enjoy!***

Aqua leaned back on the palms of her hands, looking up at the starry night sky. Purples and blues swirled together above her, with the occasional shooting star flying past. Her bare feet swished in the water, the coolness of it should have been refreshing against the hot night air, but she could barely feel it.

She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and trying to remember everything she could about the world around her. She was asleep, dreaming. She knew deep down that she when she awoke, she would be back in the Realm of Darkness. But in the sanctuary of her dreams, she could be in the one place she longed to be, home.

In every dream, she was always alone. Left to wander the Land of Departure on her own, even though her heart longed to replay memories of her time with Terra and Ven, but she took solace in it regardless.

The sound of soft footsteps approaching from behind caught her attention. Her heart twisted with worry that somehow, the demons in her heart had managed their way into her subconscious. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes and forced herself to look over her shoulder, gasping when she saw Terra casually walking towards her.

"T-Terra…?" She asked in disbelief, scrambling to her feet.

Terra stopped, his hard to read expression softening and his lips tipping upwards into a sweet smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when Aqua continued.

"What are you doing here?" She hurried towards him, stopping short in front of him as she looked him over, unable to believe what she was seeing. "N-No one's ever been here!"

Terra chuckled, "Do you always have to question everything, Aqua?"

She quickly shut her mouth when her heard his familiar voice, tears welling up in her eyes as her heart swelled for the first time in years. "I…" She tried to speak, but her voice came out hoarse. Shaking her head, she sniffled and let out a laugh. "For once, I don't know what to say."

Her heart jumped when she heard his laugh join hers. "It's good to see you." he told her, reaching forward and gently grabbing one of her hands in his.

Aqua swallowed hard, feeling his familiar callused, yet soft fingers over her skin. She brought her eyes to their hands, watching their fingers interlace and feeling every movement. Looking back up at Terra's face, she stared back at his kind blue eyes. She had forgotten how deep they were, always full of so much conflict and emotion.

"It's… really good to see you, too." She replied, a smile appearing on her lips the longer she looked back at him. A light flush rushed to her cheeks when she felt his hand tighten around hers. "I just… don't understand."

"You don't have to," he stepped forward, his other hand cupping her cheek, his fingers intertwining with her hair.

Aqua closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. His warm, reassuring touch that she had longed for during the long nights in the Realm of Darkness. Tears constricted in her throat, emotion rising in her chest. She reached up her hand over his on her cheek.

"This feels so real…" She whispered, taking in a deep breath of his familiar scent that reminded her of home.

He chuckled again, "Maybe it is."

She shook her head, keeping her eyes closed as if she were worried he would be gone if she dared reopen her eyes. "It can't be… We're both lost in the Darkness. But…" She finally opened her eyes when she felt his breath hitch, meeting her eyes with his solemn ones as the corner of her lips tipped into a soft smile. "For now, this will have to be enough."

His conflicted expression softened as he smiled in return. They gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before Terra slung his head a bit forward and began to laugh.

"What is it?" Aqua asked, a light laugh in her own voice.

"This is going to seem out of nowhere, but it might be my only chance to say it." he began, his voice barely shaking as if from nerves. He brought his gaze back up to hers, his smile almost a full grin. "Not to be forward, but…" His voice trailed off and Aqua could almost hear his heart racing in his chest. "I love you."

Aqua's heart flipped, her eyes widening as she backed up in surprise. "W-What?" She stammered out, her own face flushing deeply as she tried to register what he was telling her. She shook her head, turning away and beginning to pace, "Why would I dream of you telling me that?"

"Aqua, maybe it's not a dream." Terra stepped forward, grabbing her arm to make her stop pacing and face him. "Maybe…" He stopped and glanced away, taking in a breath, "Maybe our hearts are connecting somehow. Sharing a dream." He looked back up at her. "That's possible, right?"

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, staring into his deep eyes that she struggled not to get lost in. "I… I suppose it might be…" The nerves in her stomach fluttered at the thought that the real Terra was there in front of her. "But… the last time I saw you… there was that man–"

"I know," he interrupted her, shaking his head as if trying not to think about it. "I'm still in there, he might be in control, but I'm still there locked inside." He looked up at her. "And every once and a while, I dream. It's usually of complete Darkness, but this time it was different… This time I saw you." He saw the understanding beginning the set into her as he added. "I thought it was just a regular dream, but the things you're saying, how real everything feels…" He grabbed her hand again, interlacing their fingers. "It has to be something more."

Aqua felt a lump growing in her throat. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so many questions she wanted to ask. But in that moment, she couldn't think of a single thing. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She let out a shaking breath, looking at the world around them. For the first time, she felt the cool night wind brushing past them, the sweet scent of the flowers that grew along the grassy hills. It all felt real.

"Aqua," he said her name softly, running his thumb along her hand. "You there?"

Shaking her head, she suddenly stepped forward, filling the space between them and met her lips with his. Terra stood shocked for a moment, before quickly bringing his hands to her face, kissing her back and letting the slightest sigh escape. Everything around them seemed to fade away, their hearts exploding and melding together in that perfect moment.

When their breaths were spent, Aqua reluctantly pulled away, leaning her forehead against his as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I love you, too."

"Aqua…" his voice seemed to fade, the warmth of his touch gone in an instant.

She opened her eyes with a gasp, being met with the familiar Darkness as she realized she had awoken from her dream. Her heart twisted, sinking until she felt nothing, back to numbness the Realm of Darkness enveloped her with. Even so, she could still feel the tingle of nerves along her lips. She lightly ran her fingertips along her lips, a slight smile tipping from the memory. Taking in a breath, she pushed herself to her feet and wiped away her tears, prepared to continue her journey through the endless Darkness.

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***Note: This prompt was given by an anon on Tumblr. They asked for Hinata and Kamash with the dialogue prompt: "My budget is five dollars, what are your recommendations?***

Kamash grumbled under his breath as he readjusted the well fitted green shirt that covered his torso. "I do not see the point in wearing such tight clothes," he commented to Hinata as she walked a few feet in front of him.

Hinata let out a loud sigh, coming to a stop and glancing over her shoulder at him. His bright white hair was pulled back in a bun, the blue tattoos along his face and arms glowing from his aggravation. People cast them looks as they past through the busy street, slowing their walk by Kamash as he appeared to be a complete outsider. Hinata looked away from her comrade, scanning her eyes over the bustling marketplace of Twilight Town around them.

She hadn't been sure what to think when Queen Kida had requested her to take Kamash to a few outside worlds and report back his findings. Out of all the Antlanteans, he seemed to be the least eager person for the job, but she supposed with their past missions together, it would prove to be a better pairing than a complete stranger.

"Stop your complaining," Hinata teased him, walking towards him. "Those clothes help you blend in here. Just try to go with it, for once? Alright?"

"Go with it?" He repeated, looking up at her with his icy blue eyes. "I do not understand. Is that a human saying?"

Hinata stared back at him with a slightly annoyed frown. "It means just shut up and deal with it."

"I do not appreciate your tone," Kamash glared as he pushed past her and continued walking through the busy street.

"Yeah, well I don't appreciate your constant whining," Hinata muttered, rolling her eyes as she followed after him.

She looked at the neon lighted signs and store fronts as they passed, smiling at the familiarity they brought her. The chime of the trolley caught her attention and she looked back forward, seeing the long golden trolley coming to a stop up ahead. Rushing forward, she grabbed Kamash's arm, much to his dismay, and pulled him with her.

"Come on, let's get on the trolley." She pulled harder when he tried to stand his ground.

"I fail to see why we need to ride such a contraption." He half-halfheartedly pulled against her, staring distastefully at the machine.

"Just... come on!" Hinata groaned, pulling with both her hands and letting out a breath of relief when he finally came with.

As they climbed onto the trolley, she found a spot near the back where they could still stand outside. Releasing Kamash, she leaned against the railing and watched the city pass by as they began to move.

Kamah stood close beside her, his arms crossed tightly across his chest as he looked over every person on the trolley with them.

"Would it kill you to lighten up?" Hinata asked with a hushed voice, glancing up at him.

"I am still unsure why Queen Kida would send me to such a world." He admitted, turning around and looking out at the town with her. "It seems primitive compared to the greatness of Atlantis."

"You'd rather be back home with your wife and kids, huh?" Hinata surmised, trying to keep the exasperation with him out of her voice.

Kamash hummed in agreement, before suddenly changing the subject, "Why did you force me on this contraption?"

"It's called a trolley," she corrected him. "And this leads to the food district, I'm hungry."

"I doubt I will find anything suitable to my tastes." He commented, glancing over when he heard Hinata snort out a laugh.

"How do you think I felt in Atlantis?" She asked him, still laughing. "I hated like ninety percent of the food there."

Kamash let out an deep inward groan. "I suppose I will have to make many sacrifices on this mission."

"Happens to the best of us," Hinata smirked up at him.

The chime of the trolley alerted them that they were coming to a stop in the food district. Hinata led the way off, with Kamash reluctantly following behind. As they came out, Hinata instantly took notice of the various savory scents filling the air. Her stomach rumbled with anticipation and she looked around for a place that seemed suitable to eat.

"Alright," she looked back at Kamash. "What sort of food are you wanting?"

Kamash scanned his eyes over the various restaurants, as he reached into the back pocket of his pants that he felt were just a bit too tight. He pulled out a leather wallet and opened it, looking at the contents. "My budget is five dollars." he looked back up at Hinata with a serious expression. "What are your recommendations?"

"Five dollars?" She asked in disbelief, crossing her arms as she walked towards him. "Queen Kida gave you five dollars for your mission to explore outside worlds?"

He checked again. "Will this not be sufficient?"

"Well, not really," she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Look, I'll pay for lunch. I'll ask DiZ about getting you some more munny when we get back-"

"I do not need your assistance." Kamash cut her off proudly. "Just tell me what I can get for five dollars."

"Not much of anything," Hinata told him, "Just let me pay-"

"I will not allow you to pay on my behalf for anything." Kamash interjected once again, standing taller.

Hinata groaned, running her hand over her face. "Kamash... It's been over a year since my first mission in Atlantis and I still have treasure Kida gave me before I let. Why in the world do you only have five dollars?"

"My queen must believe this will suffice."

"Give me the wallet," Hinata reached for it, but Kamash held it up where she couldn't reach. "Kamash! Just let me check! There's no way-" She leaned on her tip toes, waving her arms in vain to get the wallet. Giving up, she crossed her arms and huffed, "You're a piece of work, you know that?"

His lips tipped into the slightest smirk. "I do not know what that means, but by your expression I can see that I am annoying you."

"Great deduction," she rolled her eyes, spinning around, "Come on, let's find someplace cheap to eat since you're being so difficult."

Kamash slipped the wallet back into his pocket as he followed after her. He would never admit it aloud, but many of the food stands they passed seemed tantalizing and made his mouth water. He looked back forward as Hinata came to a stop in front of a small burger place.

"This place should have a dollar menu," Hinata told him, opening the door.

"Oh, then allow me to pay for your lunch as well." Kamash walked through the open door, smirking at Hinata rolling her eyes.

"I'm planning on getting some sushi from the place down the street after we order for you," she explained, following him in. "So you just worry about yourself, alright?"

Kamash nodded, falling silent as he looked at the menu. Hinata went ahead to the ordering counter and made an order for him that came out to less than four dollars.

"Give her the money," she told Kamash, watching as he reached for his wallet and handed the bills to the worker.

The woman took the money, her eyebrows knitting together as she looked it over. "I'm sorry sir," she looked back up with a sweet smile, handing back the money, "but we don't take any bills higher than fifty."

Hinata glanced at the money, seeing the number one-hundred in the corner. "Oh my God..." She planted her face in her hands.

...

...

...

***Note: This prompt was given by nykamito on Tumblr for Riku and Hinata: "Stop filming, moron."

It is set after Kingdom Hearts 3. Enjoy!***

Hinata shivered the moment she and Riku were beamed down to the planet, feeling an icy wind swirl around her. She opened her eyes, gasping at the winter wonderland forest. Delicate snowflakes floated around them, covering the tall branches of the trees above them in a blanket of snow. Hinata let out a puff of white frosted air, spinning around in awe until she saw Riku watching her with his signature smirk.

A thick scarf was wrapped around his neck, the extra fabric cascading behind him almost like a cape. He was covered by an almost black cloak that went to his knees and gray pants that tucked into tall boots. Hinata smiled at the outfit the magic drive of the ship had put him in, and glanced down at her own. Seeing a dark copper cape that was fastened above her chest and a brown winter dress that went to the snowy ground.

"We're in Prydain, aren't we?" Hinata asked with pure giddiness in her voice.

Riku laughed, giving a nod, "You guessed that quick."

Hinata chuckled, reaching forward and grabbing his hands. "Well, it is the only world we've been to where we're dressed like this." She gave him a quick, yet sweet kiss. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Of course," his smirk grew before he kissed her again. He released one of her hands and began leading the way forward. "Now come on, there's some people we need to see."

"You don't mean–" Hinata began, cutting herself off when Riku sent her a look. "Oh fine, I'll be patient."

She looked around at the gorgeous scenery around them. It had been months since they had been able to go on a trip together just for the two of them. So when Riku told her he had planned for a week long vacation, she had been nearly beside herself in excitement; even though he refused to tell her the destination.

"Oh!" She paused her walk, pulling back her hand from Riku, to his surprise, and reached into a large satchel fastened to the belt around her hips.

She brought out a rectangular tablet with gold details along the sides. Pressing the sides, the glossy screen along the front lit up and she began a recording. Soon she was looking at the wonderland around them through the camera on the screen and pressed another button to make the camera face her.

Smiling brightly, she greeted the video, "So! Here we are on our vacation in… Prydain!"

She turned the camera back around, showing Riku in the shot, who was rolling his eyes with a chuckle as he continued walking. Hinata laughed as she scanned the camera around them.

"I've never been here in the winter! I can't remember the last time we saw snow!" she narrated to the camera as she followed after Riku. "And–" she caused the camera to front face again as she whispered. "Riku mentioned there were some people to see. I think he might be talking about Taran and Eilonwy! I haven't seen them since— Ahh!"

She stumbled forward, her foot catching on a tree trunk. Her arms flung forward as she yelped in surprise, the tablet was about to go flying until Riku grabbed it out of her hand and firmly grasped her arm. She fell into him, her face burning with embarrassment as she cleared her throat and stood back up straight.

Riku was shaking with laughter, "Stop filming, moron, before you break something." He held her tablet out of reach when she went to grab it back.

She huffed out a breath and straightened her clothes. "I promised Kairi and Sam I'd record stuff for them!"

"You'll have plenty of time for that this week, I promise." He assured her.

"Fine," she signed in resignation, "You're right, sorry."

"Plus, I don't think you'd want them seeing this." He added, smirking when Hinata narrowed her eyes in confusion. Without clarifying, he leaned down and met her lips with his, sliding his hand down from her arm to the small of her back, pulling her closer.

A comforting warmth formed between them when they broke apart, gazing at the other with a sweet glow in their eyes. The moment abruptly ended as Riku brought the tablet between them, letting her take it back.

She scoffed with a chuckle at the end, as she buried it back in her bag, then once again grabbed his hand to continue on their way. Riku interlaced their fingers as they walked through the thick snow, his thumb running along her hand every so often.

"It's been years since I've been here," Hinata noted, looking up at the trees. "I wonder how everyone's doing."

"Yeah, me too," he replied, playing completely coy, even as Hinata looked over at him.

"I know you're taking me to see them." She told him with a laugh. "You can try to hide it all you want."

"Alright," he simply agreed, his smirk growing when she arched an eyebrow at him.

She rolled her eyes with a sigh, allowing their conversation to fall to a comfortable silence as she enjoyed the natural sounds of the forest around them. It wasn't long until they reached a metal grated gate that led into an unfamiliar castle town. Hinata peeked through the openings in the gate as Riku conversed with the guards posted at the entrance.

"Where are we?" She asked him as the gates were pulled open to allow them in.

"The Kingdom of Mona," he told her, looking around the town as if searching for a specific path.

Villagers bustled all around them, paying the couple little mind as they went around their business in the busy market. Homes and farms of all shapes and sizes were scattered about, all kept safe inside the thick wooden walls of the kingdom. Further down the main path was the castle. It wasn't as grand or extravagant as some of the palaces Hinata had seen on her travels, but it was gorgeous all the same. She looked up at the castle in the distance, barely noticing as Riku led the way through the market and streets.

"Here we are," Riku's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She drew her eyes away from admiring the kingdom around them, to the farm they stood right outside of. "A… farm?" she asked, looking over at Riku. "Who lives here?"

"Want to find out?" he asked in return, motioning his head towards the wooden steps that led up the front door with a knowing smile.

Her heart jumped with anticipation as she took in a breath and went forward, lightly knocking on the red door. Within seconds it swung open, revealing a taller, more muscular Taran than Hinata had ever remembered. His orange hair was longer, loosely pulled back and stubble was along his chin. His brown eyes lit up the moment he saw her.

Opening the door wider, he called inside, "Eilonwy, Bedivere! Look who it is!"

"Hinata!" Eilonwy nearly squealed as she ran out and pulled Hinata into a tight hug. "Oh, how I've missed you!" She stepped back with a giggle, looking Hinata over. Her golden hair was braided beautifully, not a single strand falling over her blue dress. "You look simply wonderful!"

Hinata giggled with her, "Oh please. But thank you-" she bowed politely, "Your Highness."

Eilonwy snorted out a sudden laugh, bringing her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh you please! Don't call me that! To you, I'm Eilonwy."

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Hinata." Bedivere's calm voice interrupted them, causing the girls to split apart. His blonde hair was thickly braided down his back, his grey eyes welcoming as he looked outside. "You as well, Riku."

"Yeah, you too." Riku greeted with a simple nod, "Where's Mordred off to?"

"Already at the tavern, I'm afraid." Bedivere informed him with a smirk obvious in his voice. "We are welcomed to meet him there."

"That's a great idea," Taran agreed, ushering everyone out of the house and locking the door behind them. He grabbed Eilonwy's hand, who linked her free arm with Hinata. "That'll give us time to catch up with Hinata."

"Now I want to hear about everything that's happened since we saw you last." Eilonwy ordered Hinata as they began to make their way down the steps.

Hinata glanced up at Riku as they past, exchanging sweet smiles before she was whisked away by her old friends. Riku chuckled under his breath, watching them as Hinata pulled out her tablet and began showing them how to take pictures together.

"It is good to see both you and Lady Hinata together again." Bedivere spoke up, stopping beside Riku.

Riku glanced up at him with a soft smile, "Thanks."

"I do fear you may not get much quality time with her as long as Taran and the Princess have her in their grasp."

Riku smirked, a breathy laugh escaping him. He looked after Hinata, catching her glancing back at him over her shoulder. His face warmed a bit as he confessed. "As long as I can ask her something, I don't need a lot of time."

Bedivere looked over at him with intrigue, knowing Riku well enough to know exactly what he meant. A warm smile grew on his lips as he asked, "Have you the ring yet?"

Riku's heart jumped as he darted his eyes up to Bedivere, still surprised that he could always guess what he was thinking. He looked back to Hinata, making sure she was still distracted by Taran and Eilonwy, before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a small velvet box. Opening it, he revealed a white gold ring with a sparkling diamond along the top. Blue gems of various sizes and shades surrounded it in a spiraling pattern, with smaller gems embedded along the side of the gold.

"I got it made by some dwarves that are known for mining rare gems and diamonds." Riku explained, quickly concealing it back in his coat when he noticed Hinata about to look back again, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering in a frenzy. "It's one of a kind."

Bedivere's smile grew, "It is perfect."


End file.
